PHYSIOTHERAPY
Physiotherapy includes many soft tissue techniques and joint mobilisations, as well as physical agents such as Laser therapy, Ultrasound therapy, Electrostimulation...
Soft tissue techniques can help with pain relief, immediate improvement of mobility, improved blood flow, wellbeing...
A physiotherapy course will almost always include THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES
This means exercises specifically tailored to your pet's needs. They may involve specific equipment (physioballs, cavalettis, wobble cushion, etc) or just make the most of your garden!
They are very important to maintain the improvements obtained during the session.
They can help with building muscle strength, improving balance and control, increasing core stability, or simply keeping your pet busy whilst they are recovering. And they are usually quite fun!
LASER THERAPY
Laser therapy uses infra-red light as a therapeutic agent. The light is absorbed by specific molecules in the body called chromophores. Some effects observed are pain relief, reduced inflammation, improved healing...
Laser therapy is beneficial for conditions like osteoarthritis, back pain, muscle and tendon injuries.
ULTRASOUND THERAPY
This treatment uses ultrasound (inaudible sound waves) to treat injuries. This has two main effects: micromassage and deep tissue heating.
Ultrasound therapy is really useful in treating muscle pain, spasm, tendon injuries and scar tissue.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is an ancient art of healing using very fine needles in specific areas of the body. The main effects observed are pain relief and muscle relaxation, but this holistic approach can also be very beneficial to generally rebalance the body.
Most dogs (and some cats!) accept the treatment very well, and some even fall asleep!
REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
This new field in veterinary medicine is developing as we speak.
There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis but some treatments may help to delay the progress of the disease. One of them consists in injecting a platelet concentrate in the affected joints, or even stem cells (derived from fat). It is believed that these cells may promote healing of the injured tissues in the joint, thus reducing inflammation and pain.
With your referring vets, we can recommend and give these intra-articular cutting edge treatments involving platelets or stem cells...
ELECTROSTIMULATION
Electrostimulation uses a small electrical current between two electrodes or pads applied on the skin, to trigger a muscle contraction. This is useful to rebuild muscle strength when an animal is not able to move or do specific exercises, for example after a surgery. it can be done at home and it usually very well tolerated.