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Conditions Which May
Benefit From Physiotherapy:
* Soft
tissue injuries - can be any
injury to a muscle, ligament or a tendon. These injuries are often
associated with pain and swelling. There may be some lameness.
The injury may be very subtle, with the animal being just "off" or it
may be readily apparent.
* Osteoarthritis -
like humans, most animals suffer from arthritis as they age or as a
result of injury or surgical procedures. Arthritis in any species
is always associated with pain, swelling, and decreased mobility.
Physiotherapy can help with maintaining joint mobility and strength thus
prolonging the productive and happy life of the animal.
* Post-operative rehab
- this is an area of veterinarian medicine that is rapidly expanding.
Veterinarians are increasing their surgical techniques to the benefit of
our pets. As a result, the need for the follow-up rehab has
increased. After any surgery there is pain and often swelling that
needs to be treated. There is usually a limitation in range of
motion and strength that must be restored for the animal to return to
its best function.
* Hip dysplasia-
is not as uncommon in canines as we would like it to be. Breeders
are making great efforts to eliminate this disorder but we are not there
yet. The first clinical signs often show up in very young puppies
before any indications on x-ray. Good management at that point can
prevent more severe problems later. Management consists of dealing
with the clinical symptoms and developing a good exercise program to
build and maintain the supporting hip strength throughout the dog's life
time.
* Elbow dysplasia-
again like hip dysplasia is not as uncommon as we are working on it
being. It is treated in much the same way as hip dysplasia with
the emphasis being on treating the acute flares and prevention of
ongoing flares and long term management.
* Muscle strains
- happen in animals the same way they happen in humans.
The muscle is asked to do a task that exceeds the load limit for that
muscle, either very quickly or over a period of time. In the first
instance, it is a sudden strain and in the second it is an overuse,
repetitive type of strain. The first is usually quite easy to spot
- the animal was doing very well, running around, having fun, performing
well and then there was a sudden event, and the animal then changed.
In the second instance, the onset is more gradual. Slowly over
time, the animal just doesn't seem to be doing as well or its starts to
favour one limb or doesn't like to move in a certain pattern but nothing
is really obvious initially until the pain and discomfort becomes too
great. The treatment also differs for both types of muscle strain
and must be individually developed based on an accurate diagnosis of the
muscle involved and the type of strain.
* Ligament injuries-
ligament injuries can be an acute sprain or a chronic degeneration over
time or a combination of both. They require careful assessment and
treatment planning. Sometimes they can be managed conservatively
but sometimes as in the case of an ACL or CCL rupture they may need
surgical management followed by a very good rehab program.
* Post fracture rehab-
will almost always be associated with weakness and limited range of
motion which need to treated to restore the animal to its best possible
function. Often the animal will developed an abnormal gait pattern
which will need to be corrected. Proprioception may be altered and
need to be rehabed.
* Neurological conditions-
there are many neurological conditions which can affect animals with
minor to catastrophic results. Physical therapy can assist in the
rehabilitation of most neurological conditions. The treatment
program will vary with condition and prognosis and must be individually
planned.
* General Debility-
sometimes an animal will just become weak due to illness or age or lack
of exercise or weight issues and professional help is necessary to
safely restore the animal to fitness again. An assessment and
exercise program developed by a physical therapist trained to work with
animals can make the journey back to good health much safer.
* Sports injuries-
can and do encompass any and all of the above. The difference in
the treatment is that there is particular focus on returning the animal
to its sporting condition and this may entail a higher level of training
and rehabilitation. The program must also be sport specific.
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