Can horse's have vet physio? And should they? YES and YES! I’m a firm believer that all pets should receive regular vet and vet physio sessions to keep them happy and healthy. But why?

Can we cure back pain and can Veterinary Physiotherapy help? So the short answer is yes! But if you’d like to know more about the causes and specific treatments used, keep reading and you’ll discover the 2 leading causes of back pain in dogs and horses and the best treatment.

Unlike in humans the quads in our dogs and horse's are set deeper than in humans, meaning that it’s often hard to assess their true muscle mass. This is particularly important if your pet has stifle issues as the quad and stifle are directly linked as you’ll see in a moment!

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.

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.

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.

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?

Ergh why is my horse lame?! It’s the age old question isn’t it. You know the saying “if you look at it long enough you’ll find a lameness” well it’s kinda the same with trying to find out why right?