Treatment
Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic exercise is the cornerstone of physical rehabilitation. It has many benefits and is appropriate for a variety of conditions. Exercise can:

• Improve cartilage and ligament health
• Improve muscle mass and strength
• Prevent or reverse osteoporosis
• Increase circulation
• Decrease pain
• Reduce obesity
• Improve overall function and mobility

Types of exercise can promote:

• Strengthening
• Flexibility
• Range of motion
• Balance and proprioception to encourage weight shifting, dynamic balance and conscious awareness of limb position sense
• Endurance/stamina

Aquatic Therapy
Exercising in the water is a low impact activity that helps to improve strength, range of motion and endurance. The buoyancy properties of water minimize weight bearing stress to the joints which helps to prevent tissue injury, inflammation and pain. Aquatic therapy is appropriate for:

• Post operative orthopedic procedures
• Neurological conditions
• Osteoarthritic patients
• Overweight patients.

Depending on the patient's therapeutic goals, the underwater treadmill and/or swimming pool may be used. The underwater treadmill promotes controlled weight bearing by varying the water level. The swimming pool is a non-weight bearing environment, especially effective for osteoarthritis and weakness associated with neurological conditions. Swimming is not recommended immediately in many post-operative conditions: the underwater treadmill may be appropriate.  The therapy team will help to determine which is most suitable for your pet.

Manual Techniques

Manual techniques such as massage, passive range of motion, stretching and joint mobilization are important components of a rehabilitation program. These therapies increase circulation, improve tissue extensibility and joint mobility, promote relaxation and decrease pain.

Modalities
Hot/Cold Therapy
Superficial heat and cold applications are used as an adjunct to treatment often before or after exercise to relieve pain, increase circulation, promote relaxation, increase tissue extensibility or minimize inflammation.

Cold Laser Therapy
Low-level laser therapy, commonly known as cold laser, is a noninvasive, drug free modality, frequently used in veterinary rehabilitation.  Laser increases the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair, decreases inflammation, and decreases pain. It is precise, safe, and very effective for treating a variety of conditions such as soft tissue injuries, post-operative conditions, arthritis, and wounds.

Therapeutic Ultrasound
Therapeutic ultrasound is used to improve mobility, promote soft tissue health, reduce scar tissue and enhance bone repair by providing thermal and non-thermal mechanical stimulation.  This promotes tissue healing of muscle, tendon, joint capsule, ligament and bone. A pulsed or continuous wave of sound can be applied using varied heads to determine the depth of sound wave penetration.  Depending on the tissue and condition the treatment intensity may also be adjusted. A variety of conditions respond to this treatment including muscle contracture, muscle strains, spasms, tendonitis, calcified tendons, fracture healing, ligament sprains and chronic synovitis.

Electrical Stimulation
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation is a modality used for stimulation of nerves to promote muscle contraction for strengthening, range of motion, decreasing inflammation and pain. It is especially useful in treating neurological conditions and in managing post operative pain and muscle weakness.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Eastern healing practice that’s recently been getting some close attention from the modern Western medical community. Acupuncture has been used through the centuries in humans and in animals to manage a wide variety of disease processes. Click on the head to view our acupuncture page.

Please contact our rehabilitation specialists at 610-696-8712 to set up a consultation appointment to design and implement an individualized rehabilitation program tailored to meet your pet's needs.