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215 Commerce Way,
Suite 100,
Portsmouth, NH 03801
T: (603) 433-0056
F: (603) 433-0029
Department Hours:
Ophthalmology:
Monday - Thursday
Hospital Hours:
Emergency:
24 hr/day, 7 days/wk
Services | Veterinarians | Treatments | Diagnostics | Client Forms | About

Physical Therapy: Treatments & Therapies


Superficial Thermal Therapies:
What are the benefits of cold therapy and how should it be applied?
Benefits:
  • Reduces and helps control inflammation
  • With compression will help reduce edema
  • Reduces pain
How does cold therapy work/What does it do?
  • Causes vasoconstriction
  • Reduces cellular metabolism
  • Decreases sensory and motor nerve conduction velocity
Application
  • Applied primarily in the first 72 hours post trauma for 10 to 15 minutes
  • Allow at least 2 hours between sessions to allow tissue to recover from the last icing
  • If you are using an ice pack with a plastic outer shell, place the pack in a pillow case to buffer the impact of the plastic against the skin.
  • Special Consideration: If your dog has had a TPLO, do not wrap the ice pack around the inside of the knee when icing the knee. The metal plate is there and will quickly absorb the cold which will make your dog uncomfortable.
What are the benefits of heat therapy and how should it be applied?
  • Heat therapy induces muscle relaxation
  • Apply heat pack after the initial 72 hours post trauma for 10-15 minutes.
  • Allow at least 2 hours between heating sessions to allow tissue to recover.

Passive and Active Range of Motion
Range of Motion Exercises assist with & induce:
  • Joint and soft tissue mobility
  • Muscle elasticity
  • Lowered liklihood of fibrosis and contracture
  • Improved circulation
  • Reduced edema

Stretching & Joint Mobilization
Benefits of Stretching:
  • Improves flexibility and extensibility of periarticular tissues
  • Improves flexibility and extensibility of muscles and tendons
Benefits of joint mobilization
  • Decreases pain
  • Stimulates the production of synovial fluid
  • Increases joint motion
  • Mimics weight bearing
  • We also use many manual techniques such as myofascial release, strain/counterstrain, muscle energy and integrative manual therapy techniques.