What is therapeutic exercise?
Therapeutic exercise is purposeful movement used as part of a veterinarian-directed rehabilitation plan.
The term can include many different types of activities. What makes an exercise therapeutic is not simply the equipment being used or how the movement looks.
It is selected for a specific rehabilitation patient based on that patient's needs and goals.
What can therapeutic exercise look like?
Therapeutic exercise can involve a variety of controlled movement activities.
Depending on the individual patient, a rehabilitation session may use:
- Guided walking or movement patterns
- Balance activities
- Weight-shifting activities
- Controlled changes in position
- Movement over or around rehabilitation equipment
- Other veterinarian-directed exercises
The activities used vary from patient to patient.
Why are exercises individualized?
Two dogs may have very different rehabilitation needs even if they appear to have similar mobility concerns.
The rehabilitation veterinarian considers factors such as medical history, current function, movement, comfort, and goals when developing the plan.
For that reason, an exercise that is appropriate for one patient should not automatically be assumed to be appropriate for another.
Is therapeutic exercise the same as canine fitness?
Not necessarily.
Some rehabilitation exercises and canine fitness activities can look similar because both involve movement, coordination, strength, or conditioning.
The difference is the purpose and context.
Therapeutic exercise is part of medical rehabilitation care.
Canine fitness is non-medical activity for dogs appropriate for fitness and conditioning programs.
What happens during a therapeutic exercise session?
ATC staff follow the veterinarian-directed rehabilitation plan and guide the patient through appropriate activities.
The team may observe how the dog performs the movement and adjust the session within that established plan.
The goal is not to complete as many repetitions or activities as possible. The session is structured around the individual patient and the rehabilitation plan.
Should owners perform rehabilitation exercises at home?
Owners should follow only the home instructions provided for their individual pet by the veterinary rehabilitation team.
Online examples or exercises used for another dog should not be substituted for individualized veterinary guidance.
