Information for Vets
Physiotherapy is a titled name, therefore only people who have completed a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy, (which is a 4 year university degree or GEM program) can call themselves a Physiotherapist.
Physiotherapists have for the last 50-100 years worked in medical teams and it is standard practice to report on their findings, and thus aiding the clients recovery with exceptional communication skills and referral back to the Doctor or Vet. Physio's usually write a letter back to the Vet after the first few treatments and will refer the client/animal back to the Vet if anything is not clear on the treatment plan.
Physiotherapists goal is to aid the treatment of the client (animal or human!) and aid the Doctor/Vet. This enhances the clients experience and will increase the clients goodwill and likely hood to return to their Vet.
Animal Physio is best commenced along side anti inflammatory treatment or steroid treatment. We know with human studies it only takes 10mls of swelling to cause atrophy, it will be less with animals. Team work has the best and fastest results for animals.
Click here to see an excellent article on inter professional collaboration - Veterinary and Physical Therapist Perspectives
Along with assessing; muscle, tendons, nerves, capsules etc, we also take a detailed ''at home behaviour'' report, just like a human clients, and ask in depth questions about home routines, daily living conditions, exercise, hygiene/grooming of animal, diet etc. and give a multitude of advice to aid in the recovery of the injury.
Physiotherapists have for the last 50-100 years worked in medical teams and it is standard practice to report on their findings, and thus aiding the clients recovery with exceptional communication skills and referral back to the Doctor or Vet. Physio's usually write a letter back to the Vet after the first few treatments and will refer the client/animal back to the Vet if anything is not clear on the treatment plan.
Physiotherapists goal is to aid the treatment of the client (animal or human!) and aid the Doctor/Vet. This enhances the clients experience and will increase the clients goodwill and likely hood to return to their Vet.
Animal Physio is best commenced along side anti inflammatory treatment or steroid treatment. We know with human studies it only takes 10mls of swelling to cause atrophy, it will be less with animals. Team work has the best and fastest results for animals.
Click here to see an excellent article on inter professional collaboration - Veterinary and Physical Therapist Perspectives
Along with assessing; muscle, tendons, nerves, capsules etc, we also take a detailed ''at home behaviour'' report, just like a human clients, and ask in depth questions about home routines, daily living conditions, exercise, hygiene/grooming of animal, diet etc. and give a multitude of advice to aid in the recovery of the injury.
How do you know you're doing any good, or helping the animal?"
I have had many Vets ask me this very question.
In the physiotherapy profession we look for symmetry in any body – human or animal in the assessment and treatment. This will give us a big clue whether biomechanics are optimised, and help us identify which joint structure anomalies or degeneration, or muscle weakness, or neural disturbances.
Differential assessment of muscle/joint/nerves use the same tests as humans, just with slightly different biomechanics/angles.
Therefore not only do I observe gait/trot/canter/sit/stand behaviours, I palpate bony landmarks, muscles, nerve pathways and observe patterns of distress or feel for what is ‘’not normal’’- scar tissue, thickened fascia, tears (I am able to palpate and find tears in humans that are 2cm or more, this takes many years to develop that level of palpation); then implement orthopaedic tests for joints/muscles/nerves.
This level of skill required to put together a clinical picture of Dis – Ease, is what Physiotherapists are famous for.
The owner is then trained in simple exercise to help promote tissue healing / symmetry / normal movement patterns.
The animals are treated in an environment that doesn’t smell like a Vet clinic, my treatment rooms are outside under shelter and promote a more normal environment which allows a more normal movement pattern and hopefully less fear from being observed by a stranger. I spend 30 minutes in my treatment sessions, therefore, allows a good rapport between the animal, the owner and myself.
Most animals come bounding into my ‘’garden environment’’ after their first treatment and are ready for their next sessions as they have had such a great reduction in pain.
In the physiotherapy profession we look for symmetry in any body – human or animal in the assessment and treatment. This will give us a big clue whether biomechanics are optimised, and help us identify which joint structure anomalies or degeneration, or muscle weakness, or neural disturbances.
Differential assessment of muscle/joint/nerves use the same tests as humans, just with slightly different biomechanics/angles.
Therefore not only do I observe gait/trot/canter/sit/stand behaviours, I palpate bony landmarks, muscles, nerve pathways and observe patterns of distress or feel for what is ‘’not normal’’- scar tissue, thickened fascia, tears (I am able to palpate and find tears in humans that are 2cm or more, this takes many years to develop that level of palpation); then implement orthopaedic tests for joints/muscles/nerves.
This level of skill required to put together a clinical picture of Dis – Ease, is what Physiotherapists are famous for.
The owner is then trained in simple exercise to help promote tissue healing / symmetry / normal movement patterns.
The animals are treated in an environment that doesn’t smell like a Vet clinic, my treatment rooms are outside under shelter and promote a more normal environment which allows a more normal movement pattern and hopefully less fear from being observed by a stranger. I spend 30 minutes in my treatment sessions, therefore, allows a good rapport between the animal, the owner and myself.
Most animals come bounding into my ‘’garden environment’’ after their first treatment and are ready for their next sessions as they have had such a great reduction in pain.
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Matched to Tissue Healing Timelines:
Day 1-3 - Acute inflammation (heat, swelling, pain) Treatment - Drugs, compression, rest, ice, elevation if possible, Ultrasound (if no metal), Lymph massage, acupuncture, gentle range of motion exercises to use muscles as a muscle pump to move swelling back into lymph and blood vessels. Non gravitational postures. Day 3-7 - Granulation of tissue, progressive growth of fibroblasts and myofribroblasts. Important phase to get msucle developing in line of anatomical attachement and with line of force for functional movement without tearing or allowing build up of scar tissue. Treatment - drugs, start to gently load tissue to encourage elastic properties of tissue instead of scar tissue. Break down of gait phase. Correct activation pattern is important, ie (gluteal - paraspinal muscles - abdominals - quads & hamstrings etc). Stretches, passive physiological movements, assisted gait for toilet breaks = normalising movement for more rapid healing. Graded gravitational postures |
Day 7 - 14 - Fibroblast proliferation, collagen deposition in granulation tissue.
More loaded muscle exercises, alternating isometrics, weight transference exercises in neutral postures.
Facilitation of weakened muscle/imbalance, pilates, balance exercises.
Functional movements - partial to full
Slowly increase reps and number of sessions. Gait
Hydro - weeks 4-12 - must have imbalance nearly normalised as hydro only allows the strong muscles to get stronger as the body works on principles of efficiency and will only use the strong muscles. Hydro is a mass pattern of movement, and does not isolate the weakened areas. It also has very little proprioceptive input for the animal and is a hard exercise, can put a lot of torsion through the spine as neither limb is on hard ground for stabilisation.
Day 14-30 Overload principle for muscle development
Muscle takes 6 weeks to strengthen (and only 2 weeks of rest to start to atrophy!)
use props to load up front or rear limbs
use props for balance
Sit, stand, lie activities - increase reps and speed
figure eights -start big move into smaller ones to increase difficultly
curb walking/balance - co ordination & musculature endurance exercise
inclines
cavelletties - ladder work........etc
Day 30 see's 50% tensile strength of normal tissue
3 months - wound is now 80% tensile strength after surgery.
More loaded muscle exercises, alternating isometrics, weight transference exercises in neutral postures.
Facilitation of weakened muscle/imbalance, pilates, balance exercises.
Functional movements - partial to full
Slowly increase reps and number of sessions. Gait
Hydro - weeks 4-12 - must have imbalance nearly normalised as hydro only allows the strong muscles to get stronger as the body works on principles of efficiency and will only use the strong muscles. Hydro is a mass pattern of movement, and does not isolate the weakened areas. It also has very little proprioceptive input for the animal and is a hard exercise, can put a lot of torsion through the spine as neither limb is on hard ground for stabilisation.
Day 14-30 Overload principle for muscle development
Muscle takes 6 weeks to strengthen (and only 2 weeks of rest to start to atrophy!)
use props to load up front or rear limbs
use props for balance
Sit, stand, lie activities - increase reps and speed
figure eights -start big move into smaller ones to increase difficultly
curb walking/balance - co ordination & musculature endurance exercise
inclines
cavelletties - ladder work........etc
Day 30 see's 50% tensile strength of normal tissue
3 months - wound is now 80% tensile strength after surgery.