Physical Therapy, Stretching and Therapeutic Exercises for the large and small animal.
" AN ANIMAL WITH GREAT REACH AND RAPID STRIDE COVERS MORE GROUND."
The musculoskeletal system plays a central role in physical therapy. Individual structures are comprised mainly of connective tissues such as collagen, elastic fibres and matrix.
After trauma, tissue revascularisation and reorganisation are essential for the restoration of normal coordinated movements.
Tight, non-flexible muscles restrict the Range of Motion (The full motion possible for joint structures and surrounding muscles) resulting in fatigue and areas of the body being subjected to inappropriate demands. While it’s important to incorporate stretching into workout routines to retain overall suppleness, care should always be taken to avoid overstretching causing discomfort and or pain.
Elasticity and flexibility of muscles, tendons and ligaments allow for more controlled, quick movements and a reduced risk of injury. Stretching exercises increase the stretch tolerance of muscles and connective tissue. Flexibility is the ability of the soft tissue to relax and yield to stretch forces.
Stretching is an important exercise for the elongation of muscle fibres and provides a certain amount of insurance against injury to the musculotendinous unit. Stretching to improve flexibility is best done after a warm-up. Trying to stretch cold muscle could result in small tears in the muscle fibres.
The benefits are:
- To increase the range of movement, flexibility, athleticism and suppleness.
- Improve the rate of recovery.
- Improve the quality and quantity of movement.
- Provide relief from pain, reduce muscular soreness, tension and stiffness.
- Reduce the risk of injury to joints, muscles and tendons.
- Improve coordination, muscular balance and resting posture.
- Enhance performance, conditioning and endurance.
Passive Exercises
Passive exercises, such as passive range of motion and stretching exercises, are performed to help maintain or improve flexion and extension of joints, improve the flexibility of muscles tendons, and ligaments, also to help enhance awareness of neuromuscular structures and functions.
Before performing any stretch, always ensure the animal is warmed up, in the case of a horse or dog a 10 to 15-minute walk is sufficient to warm the muscles to increase circulation and eliminating any waste products. A ten minute play time for your cat can incorporate any passive, active or stretching exercises, for example, a toy mouse or string or any object that they are used to, following a treat to encourage limb use in difficult cases, chasing a flashlight.
Caution should be used to move the light at a speed appropriate to the cat’s stage of recovery. To encourage stretching the light can be moved along a vertical surface such as a wall. (Carpal flexion). The wheelbarrow exercise to improve the use of the forelimbs or the dancing exercise designed to improve use and strengthening of the rear limbs.
