Manual therapy in veterinary rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Animal Rehabilitation

Background:

• The field of animal rehabilitation is adopting interventions proven effective in human physical therapy.
• Manual therapy techniques are gaining acceptance in veterinary clinical practice and literature.
• Commonly incorporated techniques include range-of-motion, mobilization, neuromuscular facilitation, osteopathic techniques, chest physical therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, and neural mobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of manual therapy approaches used in animal rehabilitation.
• To detail the goals, effects, indications, precautions, and contraindications of these techniques.
• To support the integration of evidence-based manual therapies in veterinary practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of manual therapy techniques applied to animal rehabilitation.
• Synthesis of information on goals, effects, indications, precautions, and contraindications.
• Focus on techniques adapted from human physical therapy and osteopathy.

Main Results:

• Manual therapy techniques are increasingly cited and utilized in veterinary literature.
• A wide array of manual techniques are now common in clinical practice.
• The review outlines specific applications and considerations for each technique.

Conclusions:

• Manual therapy represents a growing and valuable component of modern animal rehabilitation.
• Understanding the specific applications and contraindications is crucial for safe and effective practice.
• Further research and integration of these techniques can advance animal patient care.