ANS 395 : Veterinary Physiotherapy Section

dog cervical formula?

C7 T13 L7 S3 Cy20-23

Horse cervical formula

C7 T18 L6 S5 C15-20

What is physiotherapy?

the therapeutic use of physical agents or means

What is rehabilitation?

The process of helping an individual achieve the highest possible level of function, independence and quality of life following injury or illness.

What are the phases of rehabilitation and what should you be doing in each phase?

1. Immediately Post injury/operatively: reduce pain and swelling, restrict excessive movement

2. Short-term rehabilitation: encourage early weight bearing and correct posture

3. Long-term rehabilitation: full return to function

What are the three principles of physiotherapy?

1. reduce pain

2. positively influence tissue healing

3. restore function

What are the three stages of repair in physiotherapy?

1. acute

2. sub-acute

3. chronic

What are the physiotherapy tools and techniques?

manual therapies, electrotherapies, and remedial exercise

Types of manual therapy

Massage

Passive ROM

Stretching

Manual: massage techniques

Effleurage

Petrissage

Friction (breaks adhesions)

Tapotement

Manual: passive ROM

movement performed without muscle contraction (external force moves the joint)

(Reduces pain, inc blood flow and synovial fluid)

What does epithelium tissue do? What does it look like?

lines and covers surfaces

What does connective tissue do? What does it look like?

protects, supports, and binds. examples are things like blood, bone, cartilage, dense and loose connective tissue

What does muscular tissue do? What does it look like?

produces movement

What does nervous tissue do? What does it look like?

receive stimuli and conduct impulses

What is a lever?

A lever is a simple machine made up of:

A rigid bar (bone)

A pivot point (joint or fulcrum)

A force (muscle contraction)

A resistance (body weight, rider, or ground reaction force)

Why are levers important?

Lever mechanics are fundamental to equine locomotion, performance, and injury prevention.

What lever class is best for horses?

Third class bc it maxes speed and limb movement

Muscle groups

Agonist

Antagonist

Synergistic

Stabilizer

Muscle Groups: agonist

Prime mover

Produces the movement

Muscle Groups: antagonist

Opposes and controls the movement

muscle groups: synergist

Assists the prime mover agonist

Muscle groups: stablizer

Holds joints steady during movement

Example of muscle groups: flexion of forelimb

• biceps brachial acts as agonist

• Triceps brachial is the antagonist

• Shoulder stabilizing muscles maintain joint alignment

• Balanced muscle function ensures smooth, coordinated movement

What are the things that we palpate in physiotherapy?

bony landmarks, muscle, soft tissue, fascia and skin

What are the parts of remedial exercise?

active, targeted, and tailored

What are the immediate effects of exercise?

muscle contraction, increased blood flow to muscles, rise in muscle temp

What are the long term effects of exercise?

increased bone density, stronger muscle and tendon and ligament tissue, increased joint stability, muscular hypertrophy, higher fatigue threshold. and improvement of proprioception

What is proprioception?

the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement

What part of the brain assists in proprioception?

the cerebellum

Involves input from muscle spindles (in skeletal muscle) and Golgi tendon organs (in musculotendinous junction) and the joint capsules.

cerebellum combines this information with input from the vestibular system to create

the overall sense of body position,

movement and acceleration.

What are the steps in order of active rehabilitation?

1. Dynamic assessment

2. choosing exercises that will work

3. deciding on frequency and repetitions

4. rehabilitation timelines

What is bow and string theory?

a theory where contraction of the wall of muscles tenses the bow to create flexion or rounding of the back

What is viscoelasticity?

property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation

Via _____, equine tissues highly evolved to store energy, acting as giant elastic bands

viscoelasticity

What is elastic energy (equine)?

the energy that is temporarily stored in elastic tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, when they are stretched during movement.

This stored energy is then released as the tissues recoil, helping to propel the horse forward while reducing the amount of muscular effort required.

(TRUE/FALSE)

Elastic energy allows passive return, no / minimal energy expenditure

TRUE

How are tendons structured?

Collagen, elastin, tenocytes, Extracellular matrix, and Endotenon and epitenon

bundles getting larger and larger

What do tendons connect?

Muscle to bone

What do ligaments connect?

Bone to bone

What is H-wave electrotherapy used for?

analgesic effects, increased blood flow, muscle stimulation, and stimulation to smooth muscle activity in lymphatic vessels

What are the applications for H-wave technology?

helping with sub-acute pain and chronic conditions

In what order down the body do you palpate?

start at the head and work your way down

What are signs of pain on palpation in dogs?

lip licking, squinting, vocalizations, moving away, yawning, holding breath, guarding

What are signs of pain on palpation in horses?

tail swish, ears back, teeth grinding, head tossing, horse grimace scale, change in breathing, rigid stance, muscle tremors, moving away

What tissues palpate the easiest?

skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bony landmarks

What does hydrotherapy in general help with?

reduction of load on limbs, strengthening, reduction of atrophy, increase muscle mass, increase cardiovascular fitness, increases ROM, stretches tissues, removes edema, helps circulation, gait help, mental stimulation, pain relief

What are the properties of water in a physiotherapy context?

relative density, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, viscosity, surface tension

Relative density

Comparison of the density of an object to the density of an equal volume of water.

Specific gravity (SG) is used to describe the densities of various substances

How does the SG (relative density) in water compare to that of fat and muscle?

Water has a SG of 1, muscle has a SG of 1.1, and fat has a SG of 0.9

What SG sinks? What SG floats?

Object SG >1 will sink

Object SG <1 will float

& multiply by 100 to figure out what % is underwater

What is buoyancy? why is it good?

the upward force on an object when it is immersed in water

Buoyancy makes animals lighter in water, reducing joint loading and enabling therapeutic exercise during rehabilitation.

Centre of gravity and centre of buoyancy relationship

Centre of gravity and centre of buoyancy in same vertical line = equilibrium

Problems arise if the centre of gravity and centre of buoyancy are not on the same vertical line – a turning force will be created.

What is the Archimedes principle?

When a body is completely or partially immersed in a fluid at rest, it experiences an apparent loss of weight equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.

What is hydrostatic pressure? why is it good?

Hydrostatic pressure is the compressive force exerted by water on an immersed body. It increases with depth

can help reduce swelling, improve circulation, and enhance proprioceptive feedback during rehabilitation.

Hydrostatic pressure Effect on animals:

• Aids venous return

• Helps to remove oedema

What is pascal's law?

pressure exerted anywhere in a confined liquid is equal and undiminished in all directions.

Pressure at surface of pool

1 atmosphere and increases by 1 atmosphere for every 10m

What is viscosity? why is it good?

a fluid's resistance to movement due to cohesions and adhesion of the molecules.

, it provides a safe and adjustable form of resistance training, helping to improve strength, control, and function while minimizing stress on joints and injured tissues.

Viscosity _______ as water temperature ________.

Viscosity decreases as water temperature increases

What does turbulence do?

Increase resistance to movement

What is surface Tension & why is it good? contraindications?

Surface tension is the force created by attraction between water molecules at the water's surface.

it increases resistance when limbs enter or leave the water, providing an additional challenge that can be used to enhance strength, limb flexion, and gait training.

More effort is required when swimming with limbs moving out of the water (lower water lvl)

(Weak animals may be able to move limb under the water but cannot lift limb out of the water)

Hydro cardiovascular effects

• hydrostatic pressure lead increased venous return and in turn increased cardiac output

• heart rate and oxygen uptake is often lower during immersion (at rest and during exercise)

What are reasons to NOT use hydrotherapy?

Open infected wounds, GI upset, temperature, uncontrolled epilepsy, kennel cough and infections, pregnancy, illness

What are some basics for when to use a hydrotherapy pool vs a hydrotherapy treadmill?

Pool: full buoyancy, jets can increase resistance, impact free exercise, cardiovascular fitness

Treadmill: gait re-education, limited buoyancy, higher resistance depending on water level, reduction of impact on joints, less cardiovascular fitness necessary

hydrotherapy summary (relative density, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, viscosity, surface tension)

Property	Key Effect	Clinical Use
Relative Density	Determines whether an animal floats or sinks	Selection of flotation aids
Buoyancy	Reduces effective body weight	Early post-operative exercise
Hydrostatic Pressure	Compression effect	Oedema reduction
Viscosity	Creates resistance to movement	Strengthening
Surface Tension	Resistance at water surface	Neurological rehabilitation

swimming vs UWTM comparison chart (compare weight-bearing properties, joint flexion, joint extension, gait patterns, cardiovascular demand, and functional gait training abilities)

Biomechanical Feature	Swimming	Treadmill
Weight-bearing	Minimal/none	variable
Joint Flexion	high	Moderate-high
Joint Extension	reduced	Better maintained
Gait Pattern	Less controlled	More controlled
Cardiovascular Demand	high	moderate
Functional Gait Training	limited	excellent

what is a open chain exercise?

movement in which the hand or foot is free to move, allowing the limb to move independently through space

(swimming)

biomechanical characteristics of a open chain exercise

Minimal/reduced weight bearing

Reduced joint compression

Greater joint flexion

Increased limb excursion

Greater emphasis on limb propulsion

Lower proprioceptive input from the paw

Less stimulation of normal gait patterns

Clinical Advantages	Clinical Disadvantages
Useful when weight bearing is painful	It can encourage abnormal movement patterns
It can be used when joint loading must be minimised	It provides limited gait retraining
It can be used where early movement is desired	It can result in less functional loading
It can be used when cardiovascular conditioning is a priority	It can reduce co-contraction around joints

what is a closed chain exercise?

movements where the distal end of a limb (foot) stays in contact with an immovable surface such as the floor, wall, or a machine

(UWTM)

biomechanical characteristics of a closed chain exercise

Weight bearing

Functional loading

Joint compression

Increased proprioceptive feedback

Functional gait patterning

Greater joint stabilisation

Increased co-contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles around joints

Clinical Advantages (used for…)	Clinical Disadvantages
Gait retraining	It increases joint loading
Neurological rehabilitation	It may be less suitable immediately following surgery
Functional strengthening	It can be more challenging for painful patients
Dynamic joint stability
Improved limb loading symmetry

Soft tissue mobilization & manipulation therapies include:

massage, myofascial release, trigger point release

Joint mobilisation & manipulation therapies include:

passive range of motion, stretching, and joint mobilization

What is the self-pertaining muscle spasm cycle?

Pain -> muscle spasm -> reduced circulation/toxin accumulation -> oedema -> adhesions -> muscle shortening

When do you use massage therapy and for what?

with sub-acute and chronic tissue repair phases to improve circulation and drainage, desensitize area, release endorphins, etc

Main 3 receptors

Muscle spindles

Golgi tendon organs

Joint receptors

(TRUE/FALSE)

Pressure of massage creates pressure gradients between tissue spaces and vessels

True (flushing effect)

When not to massage?

Dehydration

• Haemorrhage

• Infection

• Persistent unidentified pain • Skin conditions

• Generalised illness

• Aggressive animal (can do it, be cautious)

• Open wounds

• Fever

• Shock

• Inflammation

• Pregnancy (positioning)

What massage technique do you start and end with?

Effleurage

What does effleurage do?

reduces muscle spasms secondary to pain, increases circulatory flow, reduces oedema, calming, warm muscles and removes metabolic waste

What is Petrissage and what does it help with?

“Kneading”

inc lymph flow, reduced muscle tension, mobilization of scar tissue, mobilization of adhesions

What is skin rolling for?

Flash of signals throughout fascia stimulating autonomic cutano- visceral reflexes

(TRUE/FALSE)

By restricting blood flow and then releasing pressure, the circulation increases, and this is thought to help decrease tone when you are doing the compressions technique

TRUE

What is friction used for as a physiotherapy technique?

To create local inflammatory response, break down scar tissue, and break down adhesions

What is tapotement/cupping used for as a physiotherapy technique?

to increase circulation, relieve muscle spasms, remove lung secretions

What is wringing for?

Circulatory and lymph vessel compression

What is compression for?

By restricting blood flow (hold for 15 sec) and then releasing pressure, the circulation increases, and this is thought to help decrease tone

ROM types

Passive ROM

Active ROM

Active assisted ROM

Active resisted ROM

Resisted ROM

What is passive range of motion?

movement induced by someone other than the patient (without muscle contraction) to retain & encourage function of a nerve/muscle that isn't working normally because of injury/disease

When is passive range of motion used as a technique?

conducted within the sub-acute and chronic stages of tissue repair

Essential for the maintenance of synovial joint nourishment

What animals can you not use ROM for? Contraindications?

hypermobility, non-ossified joints like the ones on puppies, total joint replacements, pregnancy, does not prevent atrophy

Contraindications:

If motion further injury / instability

Acute inflammatory conditions or infective arthritis

Severe pain / severe spasm

what is Tightness in muscles?

Mild shortening of a musculo-tendinous unit with no specific pathology

What muscles are susceptible?

Muscles spanning 2 joints = susceptible

What is stretching?

elongation of elastic component of musculo-tendinous unit

When is stretching conducted?

Conducted within the sub-acute and chronic stages of tissue repair

Elastic deformation

tissue returns to normal resting length after stretch completed

Stretching occurs within normal physiological limits of tissue

Plastic deformation

permanent deformation remains after stretch completed = plastic deformation

Stretching tissue beyond limit

Acute effect of stretching

an immediate elongation of the elastic component of the musculotendinous unit

What are the types of stretching?

static stretching, prolonged mechanical passive stretching, ballistic stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

What is static stretching?

stretch that is maintained in a comfortable position for a set amount of time

can be SPECIFIC or GENERAL LIMB stretches

What is prolonged mechanical passive stretching?

stretching via mechanical device