Veterinary Rehabilitation - The "WAVE" Of The Future
Download Passive Range of Motion Therapy Brochure
Download Physical Therapy and Your Pet Brochure
Physical therapy or rehabilitation has long been part of an integrated approach in the treatment of many human medical conditions including orthopedic conditions, weight management, osteoarthritis management, neurologic recondition and physical conditioning. Recently, rehabilitation of our canine patients, especially following orthopedic procedures such as TPLO surgery, fracture repair and neurologic disease, has been recognized to significantly accelerate healing, and prevent problems related to post operative downtime and return pets to full function more quickly.

The cornerstone to any physical therapy program is an underwater treadmill. Packerland Veterinary Center was the first clinic in Northeast Wisconsin and the Fox Valley to recognize the importance of rehabilitation and take the appropriate steps to institute and offer this treatment to owners and their beloved pets. Our underwater treadmill and rehabilitation program has been operational since August of 2004.

The treadmill allows us to begin rehabilitation of TPLO and many fracture cases as early as two weeks following surgery. There are many advantages to this early intervention including maintenance of muscle mass, prevention of tendonitis, increased joint flexibility, prevention of compensatory injuries such as sacroiliac pain due to abnormal stifle use following cruciate repair and--for working dogs--a much quicker return to field work.

The water in the treadmill provides heat for the muscles during work, buoyancy to protect the affected area while working, cardiovascular improvement and exaggerates the flexion and extension of the joints. We can adjust the height of the water, the speed of the treadmill, and add jets for increased resistance as indicated for each individual patient. Each session is individually tuned to the patient depending on how they responded to the previous session and where the patient is in its rehabilitation program.

The underwater treadmill work is part of an integrated approach to the patient that also involves individualized "homework" for the client to perform that will prepare the patient for the next therapy session and enhance the recovery of the pet. Pets that participate in a therapy program that utilizes underwater treadmill work also experience significantly less pain in their overall rehabilitation.

The underwater treadmill is also invaluable in the rehabilitation of neurologic cases such as herniated discs, fibro cartilaginous emboli and degenerative myleopathy. This work can greatly benefit both surgical and non-surgical cases. Our very first therapy patient was a herniated disc patient who had undergone surgery to correct the problem. After five two-a-day sessions in the treadmill he began to move his feet independently and five weeks later was walking in the treadmill with no assistance!

Since rehabilitation is an integrated science, there are other treatment modalities that we utilize depending on the case. Cavaletti rails, cone weaving and physioball work can be very helpful with neurologic cases as they help the pet to relearn how to use its limbs. These tools are also useful in post fracture cases to encourage use of the affected limb, improve balance and coordination and increase the range of motion that a joint undergoes. We also make use of good old-fashioned muscle massage and passive range of motion exercises to relax muscles before and after workouts.

When we assign homework to patients, we make sure to show them how to perform the exercises, since damage can be done by not performing the exercise correctly. It also relieves the potenial anxiety owners have that they might be hurting their pet. Each session is started by the doctor and the technicians to make sure the pet is getting exactly what they need.

This type of hands-on approach enhances the session and improves rehabilitation. In our opinion, there is no substitute for experience and the hands-on approach.

Please call with any questions you might have regarding physical therapy and the underwater treadmill! It truly is the "wave" of the future!