|
|
What we offer...
 |
| Click on below photos to enlarge. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Active Exercise - Cavelettis |
|
Active Exercise - Cones |
|
Balance Balls |
|
Balance Board |
|
|
|
|
|
PROM / Stretching |
| |
|
|
Why Do Physical Therapy?
Evidence based medicine shows that it works. Physical therapy can dramatically improve return to function after surgery or injury. Owners are involved as an integral part of the success of rehabilitation efforts. Evidence that immobilization of joints for any length of time for any reason is very deleterious. PT is an important part of a multi-modal approach to painful conditions.
|
Where can we apply PT to animal health?
Osteoarthritis
Weight Control
Post Operative Care: Orthopedic procedures
Post Operative Care: Incisional healing
Post Operative Care: Back Surgery for IVDD
Maintenance of Working and Service Dogs
Neurological Conditions
Wound Management
Joint Contracture
Muscle strengthening/disuse atrophy
Pain Management
|
| My dog has osteoarthritis, how can physical therapy help?
Our trained physical therapy staff can perform specific exercises suited to increasing your dog's mobility. These are performed in a controlled environment, by trained technicians utilizing pain relieving devices such as therapeutic laser and hot and cold packs. Our water treadmill takes weight off of the patient that is experienced in normal exercising. Allowing the patient to walk longer with less stress to joints. Activities experienced by OA patients at our facility include:
- Stretching
- Therapeutic laser for pain control.
- Ice to joints after exercise.
- TENS for pain control
- NMES for muscle strengthening as a supplement to weight bearing exercises.
- Exercise as tolerated: water treadmill, ramps, land treadmill, dancing, swimming, sit to stand, theraball and balance board to improve CP's, cavelettis to encourage active range of motion.
- Joints heated in needed, by the use of hot packs or therapeutic ultrasound, prior to stretching and exercise.
|
| |
What are Therapeutic Modalities? |
Cold & Hot
Why Cold?
- Decreases edema, reduces blood flow, decreases nerve conduction velocity and therefore pain sensation and decreases cellular metabolism and the induction of the "sensitizing soup" of inflammatory mediators.
- During the acute phase of tissue injury to limit the effects of secondary inflammation.
- After exercise or rehabilitation to limit the effects of secondary inflammation.
Why Heat?
- Softening and increased elasticity of connective tissues, allowing ligaments, tendons and muscles to stretch and relieve contracture.
- Vasodilation and improved circulation to tissues relieves cramping and provides needed circulation to damaged tissues for repair.
- Pain control for chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis by down regulation of pain receptors and relaxation of muscle fibers.
|
Therapeutic Ultrasound
Why use therapeutic ultrasound in conjunction with or instead of heat therapy?
Ultrasound is the heating of deeper structures with tissue penetration of 0.5-3cm (3.3mHz) to 2-5 cm (1mHz). It can also be used for phosphoresces and has some pain modulating effects and may enhance healing. Heat packs have 1 cm depth of heating, can help with pain and preparation for streching exercises, and help desensitize the an area prior to using the neuromuscular electrostimulation device.
What is the difference between a Therapeutic Ultrasound device and Diagnostic Imaging Ultrasound?
Therapeutic Ultrasound has a wavelength of 1-3.3 mHz, and 0.25 - 3.0 W/cm2 penetration. It heats and stimulates through sound wave energy absorbed by tissue. It's thermal effect increases collagen extensibility, blood flow, pain threshold and enzyme activity. This is NOT the same as diagnostic ultrasound. Diagnostic ultrasound has a wavelength of 2-10 mHz and is designed to measure reflected ultrasound waves to create an image, not to produce heat.
Applications for Therapeutic Ultrasound include:
- Soft tissue shortening: contracture disuse
- Soft tissue shortening: contracture congenital
- Sub acute and Chronic inflammation: tendonitis
- Pain control
- Phosphoresces: Delivery of medications such as corticosteroids thereby avoiding systemic side effects
|
Therapeutic Laser
What is the difference between Therapeutic Laser and Therapeutic Ultrasound?
A therapeutic laser uses light to regenerate tissue, not sound waves to create heat. Photons generated are absorbed in the mitochondrial and cell membranes. This leads to the formation of proton gradients across cell membranes and changes in membrane permeability. It increases ATP (energy) levels and increases DNA production and activation of enzymes.
Therapeutic laser is used in wound care to increase the rate of collagen synthesis, decrease microbial populations, and increase the rate of vascularization. It is effective in treating lick granulomas, for controlling edema, and controlling pain. It is also a modality used in treating neurologic diseases by accelerating both vascularization and nerve regeneration. And can be used when treating degenerative myelopathy, Wobblers, plexus lesions, IVDD and FCE.
Is a therapeutic laser used to cut skin or tissues?
Therapeutic lasers are Class IIIB lasers. They are invisible and on the near end of infrared light on the laser scale. Visible light lasers such as grocery store scanners, laser pointers and laser light shows are one step below the therapeutic laser class. Surgical and industrial lasers used for cutting are Class IV lasers and are on the far end of the infrared light spectrum. Therapeutic lasers use light amplified by stimulated emission of radiation and are "cold" low level lasers. There is no tissue damage (except retinal).
|
|
NMES (neuromuscular electrostimulation)
The NMES machine is used to strengthen muscles as a supplement to weight bearing exercises. Applications include:
- Pain control: Osteoarthritis, neurologic
- Muscle strengthening: Disuse atrophy, paresis
- Edema control: Post surgical, traumatic
- Iontophoresis: Local delivery of anesthetic agents, anti-inflamatories.
|
Hydro-Physio Water Treadmill 
Our water treadmill is filled with warm water to a level that makes your dog buoyant but does not cause your dog to swim. The idea is that with the added buoyancy and the under foot treadmill action, your dog will use and exercise needed muscles that would normally cause him pain in walking or manual manipulation. The water treadmill is a way to get a great work out with less pain and more comfort.
Click the links below to watch videos of the hydro-physio water treadmill. |
|
| |
|
Jog-A-Dog Land Treadmill
 The Jog-A-Dog land treadmill is great for working and service dogs, and those that need exercise during the winter months (or any time of year) when they can't get walked outside to burn those extra calories or to keep in shape for service or obedience trials.
Click here to watch the Jog-A-Dog treadmill in action.
|
|
| |
| Physical Therapy Consultations
Physical Therapy Consultations are scheduled for all physical therapy patients prior to their first visit to the Canine Rehabilitation Facility. All consults are 60 minutes in length, with the exception of weight consultations (patients utilizing physical therapy as part of a diet & exercise program) which are 30 minutes in length. During these sessions, our goal is to restore, maintain, and promote optimal function, optimal fitness, wellness and quality of life as they relate to movement disorders and health in dogs.
|
Timed Session Packages
We make physical therapy affordable for you by providing timed session packages as well as individual session pricing. Physical therapy sessions are schedule in 15 minute, 30 minute, 45 minute and 60 minute lengths, depending on the needs of your pet. PT for weight control can be purchased in advance for 7 sessions for the price of 6. Medically, the 45 minute sessions and 60 minute sessions may also be purchased in advance as 7 sessions for the price of 6. Contact our office for more information about these packages, and for information on any specials we may be running in conjunction with our Fit & Fun Playgroups and our Fit & Furry Weight Loss Club. |
|
| |
| Countryside Canine Rehabilitation |
| at Countryside Veterinary Hospital |
Available 7 Days a Week |
| Primarily seeing appointments: Mon, Wed, Sat - Day & Eve Hours Avail. |
| Conveniently located to many major routes & highways in Eastern Massachusetts. |
| (978) 256-9555 |
| k9rehab@countrysidek9rehab.com |
| |
|
|
