Nicki Cunningham
MSc.PT, Diploma of Canine Rehab, Cert. Hydrotherapy
Five Ways in which Mobile Animal Rehab Services can help your pet
Animal rehabilitation is a great treatment option for reducing pain, decreasing inflammation, and reducing the time it takes to get your pet back to their regular level of activity in both surgical and non-surgical injuries. Treatment plans can include individual therapeutic modalities or modalities working together in combination to maximize the full benefits of treatment.
1. Manual Therapy (joint and spinal compressions, deep tissue massage and stretching) helps to reduce pain and discomfort, relieve muscle spasms, increase joint range of motion and functioning by preventing fibrosis and scar tissue. Stretching helps to increase flexibility in joints and muscles thereby reducing the risk of secondary compensations and further injury.
2. Therapeutic Exercises helps to increase range of motion, muscle strength, balance, coordination and gait training in your pet. Mobile Animal Rehab Services is equipped with portable specialized rehabilitation exercise equipment that can be brought and used in the home environment and will work with you and your pet to ensure that exercises are performed and progressed safely. Your pet will be encouraged throughout with positive praise, treats of choice or toys and regular breaks as needed.
3. Electrotherapy Modalities such as Class 3b LASER use an infrared light that penetrates the skin and helps to decrease pain, inflammation, stiffness and oedema within target tissues. LASER stimulates the body’s natural healing processes, optimizing repair by increasing DNA synthesis and cell proliferation to restore normal cellular function. LASER can decrease pain and improve healing in pets with a wide variety of conditions including arthritis, surgical conditions, ligament and tendon injuries and neurologic conditions and in general use for senior cats and dogs. LASER is safe and non-invasive and offers and an additional therapy to pain medication and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) involves using an electrical current to facilitate muscle contractions of a particular muscle or muscle group to increase its strength and retraining to prevent muscle loss and to reduce muscle spasms.
4. Owner Education includes how to get your pet to move more easily and with less pain without risking injury to you. Mobile Animal Rehab Services can help provide recommendations and advice to support home modifications for you and your pet.
5. Home Exercise Programs support owners with the tools they may need to learn and change to keep their dogs and cats healthy, fit, active, and happy as they age.
In general, initial assessments and rehabilitation treatment session services can be covered through pet insurance providers. It is recommended to check with your pet insurance providers about rehabilitation coverage specific details.