In physical rehabilitation, we rely on our hands to carefully assess joints and soft tissues in order to obtain a thorough picture of your dog’s pain and dysfunction. We can also use our hands very effectively to treat the abnormalities we find. These treatments fall under the umbrella of Manual Therapy.
Manual therapy encompasses a variety of techniques that help improve the mobility of joints, muscles, and other soft tissues. Many manual therapy techniques were developed for human physical therapy and later adapted to dogs and other companion animals taking into account differences in anatomy and biomechanics.
The array of techniques includes joint mobilizations, passive range of motion, stretching, myofascial release and soft tissue mobilization. Most of these are done by trained therapists in the clinic, however some can be taught to the pet owner, allowing owners to continue offering the benefits at home.
The goals of manual therapy include the following:
- Improve range of motion of a restricted joint
- Improve tissue pliability and muscle flexibility
- Optimize tissue healing
- Relieve pain
- Improve proprioception
- Enhance circulation
What People are Saying…
Absolutely the best!!! So grateful for the work they do with my pup Bubbles. He’s got knee issues on his backend and the crew there is amazing about educating me on how to properly care for and exercise him as well as all their incredible techniques for giving him physical therapy!!!!! – Keith S.