Rehabilitation & Pain Management

Rehabilitation & Pain Management Forms

Passive Therapy Services:

Laser Therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment that uses wavelengths of light to help your pet heal faster, feel better and move more comfortably. This therapy uses light to stimulate the cells in the body to…

• Reduce pain
• Decrease inflammation and swelling
• Increase circulation
• Speed up the healing of tissues, wounds or injuries

Many pets experience relief after just one session, but a series of treatments may be recommended for best results.

Who can benefit from rehabilitation & pain management therapy?

All pets can benefit from rehabilitation & pain management therapy! Both dogs and cats, young and old can be affected by pain or injury. Both acute and chronic injuries can greatly benefit as well!

• Geriatric patients
• Surgical rehabilitation (both pre and post-operative)
• Injured non-surgical patients
• Obese patients (fitness guidance and health education)
• Hip or elbow dysplasia
• Patellar luxation
• Muscle, tendon, ligament sprain or strain
• Chronic degenerative disease
• Neurologic patients
• Orthopedic patients (fractures, amputations)
• Athletes
• Working dogs
• Alternative to surgical or medical management
• Arthritis
• Cats!
• THESE ARE JUST TO NAME A FEW! This is a limited list; many conditions can benefit from rehabilitation & pain management therapy

Therapeutic Modalities:

Underwater Treadmill

Underwater Treadmill therapy creates a safe but challenging environment that works to reduce stress on joints while building strength, improve range of motion and increase endurance. The combination of buoyancy, resistance and controlled movement makes the underwater treadmill a powerful tool for:

• Improving muscle strength and endurance
• Supporting recovery after surgery or injury
• Easing joint pain from arthritis
• Maintain range of motion
• Helping with weight loss
• Improving balance and coordination

Hydro (Pool) Therapy: Swimming is a low-impact exercise that helps patients build strength, improve flexibility, and maintain cardiovascular health. This therapy allows for controlled movement without the stress on healing joints and muscles.

• Build muscle strength and endurance
• Improve range of motion and flexibility
• Support weight loss and conditioning
• Boost heart and lung function
• Relieve stiffness and joint pain

What occurs during an underwater treadmill session?

Each patient using the underwater treadmill is accompanied by a team member at all times wearing a buoyant harness to ensure water safety. The water temperature is kept at a comfortable therapeutic degree, which can help to decrease pain, increase blood flow, and relax muscles. The water level used to immerse a patient is based on the animal’s size, comfort in the water, and therapeutic goal for the session.

Session times will vary based on the patient’s needs and physical abilities. Treats are allowed to encourage and reward our amazing patients.

Massage Therapy

Massage/Manual Therapy are hands on techniques used to help your pet feel better by gently working on muscles, joints and soft tissues.

• Relax tight or sore muscles
• Improve circulation
• Reduce pain and discomfort
• Improve flexibility, range of motion and movement
• Promote healing
• Reduce stress

Land Treadmill

The land treadmill helps improve how your pet walks. It will force them to weight bear and balance on all four of their legs. The goal is to improve balance, coordination, and normalize how they walk. As they stride with the speed of the treadmill, their muscles flex and extend more than they would if they were walking on their own.

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave Therapy uses high-energy sound waves to stimulate the healing process in injured tissues.  Shockwave simulates blood flow, activates cells involved with healing and encourages the body to repair itself.

• Reduce pain by calming irritated nerves
• Break up scar tissue or calcifications
• Improve mobility in stiff joints or injured tissues
• Accelerate healing in bones, tendons and ligaments

Active Therapy

Active Therapy uses exercise-based plans to help improve strength, flexibility, mobility and balance- all while supporting patient recovery and overall fitness.

• Build muscle strength and endurance
• Improve balance and coordination
• Enhance flexibility and joint motion
• Support weight loss and a healthy body condition
• Speed up recovery after surgery or injury
• Improve overall comfort and confidence in movement

Cavaletti’s

Cavaletti’s help with range of motion and proprioception. When they cross over each pole they need to lift a leg. This requires balance, awareness of what their feet and bodies are doing, and the ability to shift their weight.

Balance Board, Wobble Board, Hydraulic Balance Board

This can help with balance and proprioception or awareness of their body position. It can also help with leg and core strength. When a pet stands on the rocker board it still rocks from side to side. They must try to resist the movement and maintain their balance.

Heat and Cold Therapy

Cold Therapy uses cold packs or wraps to help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. This therapy is most beneficial for acute conditions.

Heat Therapy uses heat packs to help relax muscles, and promote blood flow. This therapy is most beneficial for chronic conditions.

These therapies are a gentle way to support healing, reduce pain and improve overall mobility.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)

T.E.N.S. is a gentle therapy that uses low levels of electrical current that help manage pain and muscle function.

• Blocks the body’s pain signals
• Relaxes and re-educates muscles to support healing
• Improves comfort during recovery from injury or surgery

T.E.N.S Therapy is a simple tool to help your pet feel better, move easier and enjoy life with less pain.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy can help reduce inflammation and pain. It will also help speed healing time.

Laser therapy uses light to go deep into your tissues and work on your body on a cellular level (yes, we are talking mitochondria… cell biology coming back to you?). All dogs, cats, and even humans have parts of their cells that produce energy, and when they are stimulated by the light from the laser it causes a change called “photo-bio-modulation”. During that whole process, your body starts to release endorphins, stimulates injured cells to heal, and also helps itself to relieve any pain sensations.

It also causes the production of ATP. ATP is the fuel and energy needed by cells for repair and rejuvenation. When cells have been injured they cannot make ATP, which can lead to improper, slow, or no healing at all. When using the laser, it can stimulate the cells to produce ATP again!

All our Rehabilitation & pain management patients get laser therapy as part of their therapy.

Range of Motion – Passive and Active Rehabilitation

Range of motion exercises can be applied actively or passively. Active range of motion exercises patients performs various exercises to increase flexibility and range of motion. With a passive range of motion, a therapy team member guides the patient through a motion. This can help with flexion, extension, and range of motion.

To determine if the range of motion is improving measurements are taken. An instrument called a goniometer is used at the patient’s first visit and monitored throughout their sessions to determine the effectiveness of the treatments.

Customized care for every pet!

At our clinic we offer a wide range of rehabilitation therapies. No two pets are the same, which is why we create customized treatment plans based on your pet’s unique needs, condition and goals. Our team carefully assesses each patient and selects the most appropriate combination of therapies. As your pet progresses, we adjust their plan to ensure they’re always getting the best possible care.