Injury risk is increased due to changes in posture and muscle tension

After injury rest and controlled exercise is used to get pets moving again without causing further injury. This is especially important in the case of horse's as they require movement to effectively digest their food. Controlled exercise for horses can include lunging, long-reining and in-hand walking whereas in dogs slow lead walking is most commonly used. Hydrotherapy can be used in certain cases if it is available to you.

Massage is an effective treatment for pain and tension in muscles and subsequently aids in increasing stride length and increasing joint range of motion. Massage also aids in neurological conditions by stimulating nerve endings and their connections to the brain.

Weight shifting is a remedial exercise used in both dogs and horses to improve even weight bearing on all limbs, increase core strength and proprioception.

H- wave is used to aid in the healing of muscles, nerves and tendons as well as in the reduction of pain and oedema by mimicking the Hoffman reflex which allows for deeper penetration of the treatment. It causes a contraction of the tissues flushing out areas of oedema and stimulating nerves just as TENs does to reduce pain.

Laser is most commonly used to reduce pain at trigger points by altering endogenous opioid production in the same way that morphine works to reduce pain, reducing the action potential in nerve fibres so that the pain signal is not transmitted and also reducing substance P production which leads to a reduction in pain, similar to TENs.

Cold therapy is used to reduce blood flow- vasoconstrict, therefore, is useful for reducing heat and swelling in an area this is often the case in acute injuries or post-surgery.

Heat therapy is used to relieve muscle spasm, tension and areas of pain similar to how we would use laser therapy but heat can also be used pre-exercise or competition as a warm-up.

Ultrasound (US) is most commonly used in cases of tendon and ligament injury as well as muscle strains and fibrotic myopathy. US is suited to treating these conditions as it enhances collagen production and alignment leading to enhanced healing.

NMES is used to reduce atrophy (decreased muscle), increase neurological signals- stimulating muscle movement, muscle strength, ROM and blood flow in conjunction with a remedial exercise program.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) is a form of magnetic therapy that generates a low-level electromagnetic field. This aids in re-establishing cellular voltage, as when cells are injured their cellular voltage is altered causing changes in cellular activity. This can lead to a build-up of toxins in the muscle tissues leading to pain and reduced function and length of the muscle.

TENS also known as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is used to reduce pain by stimulating the opioid mechanism in the same way as pain relief such as morphine but without the difficulty of getting your pet to take pills- we've all been there!

What's the Longissimus Dorsi and Why do we find muscle spasms there?

As we all know stretching is an important part of our warm-up and cool-down routines as humans to prevent muscle tension known as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. However in dogs and horse's we use a slightly different protocol for stretching.

Often the signs of chronic pain can be overlooked as bad behaviour, old age or even personality traits. This is especially true for those of us who have older pets as we often blame our pets age for any changes in their behaviour or activity, however, this may not always be the case.

Pole work exercises can be used in both dogs and horse's to improve their core strength, muscle mass, joint range of motion and proprioception.

Over 30% of sporting dogs suffer an injury at some point in their sporting career. These injuries are most commonly occur in the limbs, back and neck. Some of these injuries can be mild such as a cut to a pad or a cracked nail. These injuries cause only minor discomfort to our dogs and can be quickly treated (find out more in our laser blog). However, some injuries can be more serious and lead to a prolonged recovery for our dogs.

There are a number of different exercises used in dog rehabilitation and fitness programs. To know which ones best suit your dog and how to conduct them you should make an appointment to see your vet physio.

Pets who are overweight have more stress on their joints so exercise should be easy on their joints. Swimming and walking in water are great for this as they reduce the amount of weight your pet’s joints have to carry as they are supported by the water. Because of this, you should avoid high impact exercises like running, jumping and competing.

One of the most common things I hear from equestrians is ‘How do I increase my horse's (insert body area here)?’. And my answer is almost always hacking with different surfaces and hills. This type of work is a full body work out and can be done ridden or in hand so really is suitable for all horses. This type of work increases joint motion, muscle mass and strength, core strength and stride length. What doesn’t it do right?!