Rehabilitative & Assistive Products For Animals With Special Needs

Articles

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Technology Extracorporeal Shock Wave Technology (ESWT) is a high-energy acoustic pressure wave technology used to treat a variety of medical conditions. A shock wave is a very strong pressure wave in any elastic medium that creates a sudden, huge change in pressure. An Extracorporeal Shock Wave (ESW) has a specific set of parameters including an extremely rapid rise time followed by a slight dip in pressure causing cavitation. Each pulse of an ESW is a broad band acoustic “blast” with approximately 1,000 times the pressure magnitude of a medical ultrasound wave. Read More	What About Gait Analysis in Clinical Settings? Assessing outcome through gait analysis is useful in the current evidence-based practice environment. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for dogs, such as therapeutic exercise, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, shock wave therapy, balance training, and surgical versus medical treatments.... Read More
Conservative Management of Cruciate Ligament deficiency with Physical Therapy Small animal health care practitioners know that some patients are not surgical candidates because of age, poor health, inadequate state of fitness, and/or because of owner’s financial status. Still, this subset of patients deserves a chance at optimal function. Read More	Certification Program in Canine Rehabilitation: The Canine Rehabilitation Institute Janet Van Dyke, a veterinarian specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine, felt that many of her canine patients would benefit from physical rehabilitation. But it was her "Baby Boomer” clients – with their own injuries and aging joints – who convinced her that the demand for canine rehabilitative services was sure to increase. They felt that, since physical therapy improved their level of function, their four-legged companions would benefit from the same treatments.... Read More
Certification Program in Canine Rehabilitation: The University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee’s Certificate Program in Canine Rehabilitation is a sequence of postgraduate courses for veterinarians, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and veterinary technicians or students of these professions, followed by a supervised clinical experience and a cumulative examination. The courses are designed to guide the practitioner through the theoretical foundations to the clinical applications of canine rehabilitation. This program begins with separate curricula for veterinary and physical therapy professionals and ends with these professions joining together for their final courses to best meet the needs of the participants. Read More	Custom Splinting with Thermoplastics Low-temperature thermoplastics have been used in human rehabilitative medicine for custom splinting since the 1960s. The versatility of thermoplastics enables them to be shaped to any body part, and used for creating custom designs to meet various patient needs (Figures 1 and 2). Splints are fabricated to target a variety of conditions and goals: To stabilize or immobilize a body part (e.g., fracture management), protect against injury (e.g., from neglect following cerebral vascular accident), prevent injury of healing structures (e.g., following tendon repair), and prevent or correct deformity (e.g., ulnar deviation from rheumatoid arthritis). Read More
Specialized Techniques in Canine Neuro-rehabilitation Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) was first described in 1948 by Maggie Knott, a physical therapist at the Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center, Vallejo, California. PNF is a manual treatment method used by physical therapists for treating patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders. It is a positive and active approach to treatment, where the body movements of both the therapist and patient are incorporated into patterns that have a specific, purposeful, and functional goal (e.g., sit-to-stand).... Read More	Medial Shoulder Instability A common forelimb condition that presents in canine athletes is medial shoulder instability (MSI). This condition is similar to a “rotator cuff injury” in people. MSI may cause subtle signs of performance-related issues such as refusing tight turns, or may be as severe as a weight-bearing lameness. The joint capsule, ligaments, and surrounding muscles and tendons all contribute to the stability of the shoulder. Read More