Rehabilitation
Physical rehabilitation utilizes human physical therapy techniques and adapts them to improve the quality of life for our pets. The numerous benefits of physical rehabilitation include increasing muscle strength, reducing joint pain, strengthening tendons and ligaments, increasing mobility, speeding recovery from orthopedic injury and surgery, fighting obesity, promoting wound healing, and slowing deterioration in chronic age related degenerative orthopedic and neurologic diseases.
The Physical Rehabilitation team at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center is dedicated to working with you and your pet to develop an individualized rehabilitation plan to keep them moving with ease.
Common Conditions Treated by a Rehabilitation Specialist
- Arthritis
- Muscle Loss
- Neurological Degenerative Disorders
- Post Operative Recovery
- Wounds
- Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Nerve Pain
- Obesity
- Soft Tissue Injuries
Request Consultation
During your appointment, the Physical Rehabilitation team will start by obtaining a complete medical history and performing a thorough physical examination on your pet. This will allow for comprehensive and personalized treatment plans to help your pet feel their best.
Rehabilitation Services
Veterinary acupuncture involves the insertion of small needles into specific areas of the body to improve blood flow, reduce trigger points (knots of the muscle), and to help the body to release pain relieving substances.
Assistive devices may be customized or fitted devices designed to improve an individual’s function. They consist of braces, splints, orthotics, prosthetics, harnesses, and wheelchairs.
Electrotherapy uses electricity to target individual muscle groups to improve muscle strength or endurance. TENS unit therapy can also be utilized to provide pain control.
The Rehabilitation team will take time every day to provide care to hospitalized patients to help them stay comfortable and recover faster to get home to you as soon as possible.
Laser therapy uses a specific wavelength of light to penetrate through the skin with little heating effects. The light is absorbed by a structure in the cells of the body and converted to additional energy. These changes improve all phases of healing and help relieve pain.
Manual therapy utilizes many hands-on techniques to decrease pain, decrease spasm, improve relaxation, and increase range of motion.
During each appointment stance analysis will be used to detect problematic weight shifting patterns (lameness). This technology also allows our team to monitor your pet’s rehabilitation progress and guide our treatment recommendations.
Therapeutic exercise is a specific program of exercises selected for your individual pet to promote recovery, improve quality of movement, enhance performance, and to improve quality of life.
Therapeutic ultrasound utilizes sound waves to gently heat the tissues. The heating effects decrease pain, reduce spasm, increase tissue stretch, improve blood flow and tissue healing.
Underwater treadmill therapy allows active muscle contraction with minimal weight bearing on bones and joints. Patients with poor standing balance or weakness can stand easily in temperature-controlled water. Skeletal and cardiac muscles may be strengthened with the resistance of the water.
Reliable Communication
You will have access to the Specialty teams during normal business hours for follow-up questions or concerns via phone, e- mail, or in person appointments.
The Specialty teams will have direct communication with your primary care veterinarian to maintain a collaborative approach to your pets’ medical care. If you or your primary care veterinarian have any questions regarding any diagnostics or procedures, please contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions.
Our Emergency team is available 24-7 for urgent attention that cannot wait.