Physiotherapy can be of benefit to almost all animals out there as it is tailored to the individual. Whilst much of the focus appears to be on rehabilitation following on from an injury or ongoing condition, maintenance sessions can be very beneficial for your horse or dog to help reduce the risk of injury, maintain or improve functionality of the body and ensure a high quality of life. Maintenance physio is for animals that are healthy with no ongoing health conditions or injuries.
Not always the case, but for many veterinary physiotherapists, maintenance sessions tend to repeat every 8-10 weeks. This allows time for the body to adjust to any changes from the previous physio session, gives an owner time to implement any management advice provided, alongside completing the exercises prescribed for the animal. These sessions can ensure any sore muscles or restrictions are identified before they turn into something more painful that requires veterinary intervention.
Performance
Some owners opt to have a physiotherapist to aid in ensuring all of the above, alongside enhancing performance, a very wise choice. Performance animals are at a much higher risk of injuries than non-performance animals due to the level of work requirements, unpredictable environments and sometimes the repetitive nature associated with particular sports or disciplines. Some key areas that should be focussed on include:
Muscle Strengthening
Strengthening a particular muscle or muscle group, ensuring symmetrical development. Correct use of muscles rather than compensating and using incorrect muscles during movement. Correct posture can also come into this, ensuring animals are not ‘hollowed’ through their back and engage core musculature during movement. Fatigued muscles are more likely to become injured, therefore fitness directly relates to this, gradually building strength and understanding your animals’ limits.
Flexibility and Suppleness
Flexibility is essential for all animals at all ages and all walks of life, it refers to the ability of muscles, tendons and ligaments to stretch through a range of motion (ROM), allowing for comfortable movement without pain. It can impact quality of life as well as performance and general day to day activity. Flexibility and suppleness allow for a smooth fluid movement rather than a stiff, jolted type movement. Not all animals are built equally, and so specific exercises can help to develop flexibility, a good warm-up and cool-down regime should be used and stretches after exercise, ‘NEVER stretch a cold muscle’.
Joint Range of Motion (ROM)
Good joint ROM is essential for reducing injury risk, ensuring health of the joint itself (ensuring lubrication through synovial fluid) and enhancing performance. Full flexion and extension of the joint allows for a smoother movement. Active ROM refers to how far an individual can move on their own, for example during regular movement, whereas passive ROM refers to movement with assistance from someone else (usually whilst stationary).
Proprioception and Coordination
Proprioception refers to body awareness, and improvement of this allows for more coordinated movement and placement of limbs. Good proprioceptive abilities help to reduce risk of stumbling and tripping, stimulating the neurological system; ‘proprioceptors’ send messages to the brain about the relative positions of the different parts of the body, this feedback loop allows for coordination and balance. This can be improved using specific targeted exercises overtime.
This is in no way an exhaustive list and doesn't mean the animal in question must be competing at a high level, or even competing at all for these areas to be targeted. As owners, we all have certain goals in mind, for myself as a horse owner, I want my horses to be fit enough to school several times a week and as the weather is getting warmer perhaps going for a ride through the fields or on the roads, but I want to be sure we reach these goals ensuring I have done everything I can to return home safely.
Summary
Maintenance physiotherapy can benefit all animals and may help reduce injury risk, maintain or improve functionality and improve performance. Each outcome of a physiotherapy session for maintenance purposes will vary depending on the individual, findings during the session and owner goals and expectations. It is important to progress with exercises gradually under guidance from a qualified professional to avoid injury and for optimise the benefit to the animal.
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