01 Aug 2012
From: Edge-Hughes L & Nicholson H: Canine treatment and rehabilitation. In Animal Physiotherapy Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Animals, McGowan, Goff & Stubbs (eds). Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, 2007, pp 206 – 237.
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30 Jul 2012
We put the cart before the horse - here is a video with my tips and suggestions for how to assess for medial shoulder joint instability.
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26 Jul 2012
Printable
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18 Jul 2012
Need some motivation on your canine rehab learning / relearning path? Watch this for some tips and tools to help you focus (and get more done in a day)! AND, go to the articles area, motivation section, and print off the Productivity Manager. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
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18 Jul 2012
Need help to organize your day to get done both the little things, and take a step towards to bigger goals? Try this handy one-day planner. It goes with Video Training #6.
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11 Jul 2012
Novel exercise concepts - part 1
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27 Jun 2012
Medial shoulder instability is quickly becoming a frequently recognized injury in active and athletic dogs. Treatment may or may not include surgery... but in either case, some form of support is often useful. This video shows a method for using a simple tensor bandage (ace bandage) to support the medial structures of the canine shoulder joint.
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11 Jun 2012
Stretching and ROM are not only tools for treatment, they can be used to aid in establishing your differential diagnosis. Follow along and learn or review the musculotendinous stretching techniques. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to watch the video.)
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30 May 2012
I am always asked about which textbooks I like the most - so here is the ’show and tell’ of my current favourites! (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
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23 May 2012
Achilles / Calcaneal Tendon surgical repair & post-operative management
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21 May 2012
Printable!
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21 May 2012
This is the objective measurement form that I use at my clinic.
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21 May 2012
Update on modality usage - Hot and Cold
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21 May 2012
Update on modality uses and dosaging - E-stim, TENS, Microcurrent, & PEMF
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21 May 2012
Update on modality uses & dosaging - Laser and Ultrasound
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13 May 2012
Extra aquatics considerations
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13 May 2012
Benefits of Hydrotherapy
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13 May 2012
Edge-Hughes LM. 2007, Underwater treadmill (UWT) therapy in dogs: Finding the evidence to create a protocol for its use. A small-scale sample literature review. The CHAP Newsletter. Summer 2007. Finding the evidence to create a protocol for it’s use.
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13 May 2012
Research on training and condition for the canine athlete is not readily available, however there is much to be gained and extrapolated from horse and human research and literature. This paper will attempt to apply the available information on training and conditioning to the Greyhound Racing Dog and the Australian Sled Dog.
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13 May 2012
Soft tissue injuries are often an under-diagnosed source of canine lameness. Sporting and working dogs may be particularly at risk of suffering acute traumatic muscle strains, ligamentous sprains or chronic overuse degenerative tendinosis lesions resultant from poor healing of repetitive strain injuries. Less conditioned animals may also be at risk when performing infrequent burst activities or endurance tasks, much like the phenomenon known as weekend-warrior-syndrome in humans. Physical therapy skills and knowledge lend the ability to systematically assess, diagnose and conservatively treat soft tissue injuries in the canine patient
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13 May 2012
Stretching is a popular prescription among health care professionals, athletic trainers and in fitness/coaching personnel, all whom have an interest in improving flexibility in both healthy and injured clientele. Stretching has been touted to enhance athletic performance, prevent musculotendinous strain injuries and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness however confusion and controversy exists over when stretching is most effective and some claims and common uses of stretching are not supported by research.
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13 May 2012
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a term used in humans to describe pain in or around the region of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) which is presumed to be due to misalignment, abnormal movement or insufficient stabilization of the SIJs. Dysfunctions and/or lesions affecting the canine sacroiliac joint have received little attention in veterinary research and/or clinical practice. However, the sacroiliac joint in the dog and possibly in other small animals is similar enough to that in humans to argue that sacroiliac joint lesions and dysfunctions may well be a potential source of back, pelvic and/or hind limb pain. Subsequently, similar diagnostics and treatment techniques or therapies to those used in humans may be applied to dogs.
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13 May 2012
Solomon was an 8-year old, intact male Great Dane. He suffered a recent acute onset lameness (3-week duration) of his right hind leg following a suspected trauma of his limb being caught in a hide-a-bed / sofa-bed. The chief complaint was that Solomon was walking on the dorsum of his right foot and dragging it on ambulation when found on the morning of February 11th, 2006.
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13 May 2012
WRITTEN ARTICLE - All practitioners involved in small animal health care are well aware of the fact that some animals are not surgical candidates, either due to age, poor health, an inadequate state of fitness, and/or because of financial constraints, or owners’ beliefs. This subset of patients deserves a chance at optimal function as much as those that are prime surgical candidates with owners willing and able to bear the financial burden of surgery.
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13 May 2012
Handouts - SLIDES -All practitioners involved in small animal health care are well aware of the fact that some animals are not surgical candidates...
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13 May 2012
This information is intended to provide readers with the background theory and clinical reasoning skills to confidently perform a physical assessment of the lumbo-pelvic-hip region on a dog.
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13 May 2012
This information is intended to provide readers with the background theory and clinical reasoning skills to confidently perform a physical assessment of the cervico-thoracic-shoulder region on a dog.
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13 May 2012
The goals with the treatment of osteoarthritis are to relieve pain and associated muscle spasm, maintain and regain joint ROM, improve joint health, strengthen supporting muscles, address proprioceptive deficits, and advise on lifestyle modifications necessary to improve osteoarthritic joint functioning.
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13 May 2012
There are several things that change (and/or go awry) as we age. Some of these things must be taken into consideration as we are attempting to exercise, condition or rehabilitate the geriatric canine patient.
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13 May 2012
From: Edge-Hughes L & Nicholson H. 2007, Canine treatment and rehabilitation. In: McGowan, Goff & Stubbs (eds) Animal Physiotherapy Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Animals. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK, pp 205 – 237.
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13 May 2012
Dietary supplements such as glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate are widely used to relieve the symptoms from osteoarthritis in both humans and animals. This report will attempt to review relevant studies on the use of glucosamine in dogs.
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13 May 2012
I admit to having a limited understanding and appreciation for evidence-based practice (EBP) before undertaking my Masters degree. When I learned the skill to do so, I was delighted to go back to my stacks of journals (that I had never thrown out for the last couple of decades!) and re-read some of the articles with a keener awareness. I was astounded at how much I had been missing by not understanding the literature better. So, how can you learn more about literature evaluation so that you can put evidence-based practice into your clinical practice?
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13 May 2012
Quadriceps contracture is essentially a muscular contracture and adherence to the underlying bone following a femoral fracture with or without surgical fixation, whereby the muscle become taut and adherent, resulting in a characteristic hind limb hyperextension.
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13 May 2012
Prior to World War II, patients with abdominal surgeries were kept on bed rest one week or more. These patients often developed complications such as atelectasis, deep vein thrombosis, hypostatic pneumonia, pulmonary thromboembolism and a loss muscular conditioning. Through out the war attention was given to teaching effective breathing and coughing and leg exercises to maintain adequate venous return and early ambulation. Physical therapy is often overlooked early in the treatment of critically ill veterinary patients because the complications of prolonged immobility have not yet caused functional limitations.
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13 May 2012
A review of the literature on canine obesity draws parallels between risk factors, the negative impact on health, and treatment of obesity in humans and their companion pets.
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13 May 2012
From: Edge-Hughes L & Nicholson H. 2007, Canine treatment and rehabilitation. In: McGowan, Goff & Stubbs (eds) Animal Physiotherapy Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Animals. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK, pp 205 – 237.
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13 May 2012
Understand problems with urination in small animal neurological patients.
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13 May 2012
Dermatomes, myotomes and musculoskeletal nerve supply in general. Printable as a ’cheat sheet’ for your in-clinic use!
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13 May 2012
This hand out goes with the webinar / video on the Neurological Assessment. Print it out and then follow along with the webinar in the Media section.
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13 May 2012
Without use of advanced diagnostic technology it is difficult to ascertain the exact degree of damage in a spinal cord lesion in a dachshund with thoracolumbar (T-L) disc disease and mild to moderate deficits. However, the assumption made with chondrodystrophic breeds is that there has been a disruption of the annulus fibrosis surrounding the disc, which has allowed the extrusion of a small amount of discal material (Hansen’s type 1 IVDD).
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13 May 2012
An overview of DM.
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13 May 2012
Just a listing of ideas to get you thinking!!
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13 May 2012
Conservative treatment for cervical disc disease in humans may include cervical traction, analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory medications, and physiotherapy.
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13 May 2012
Start utilizing this technique more often and you will be surprised at how many more thoracic disc lesions you pick up!
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13 May 2012
Basic background and therapy prescription for ’old-dog-wobblers’.
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13 May 2012
A handout to give to the owners of your caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy patients
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13 May 2012
Canine athletes can suffer from a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries, which may impede their ability to compete in their sport until the injury is fully resolved. However, a good number of athletes may suffer from painful chronic musculoskeletal conditions that are not injuries per se, but rather conditions of overuse or aging. One such condition is osteoarthritis, which can be managed with physical therapy applications in order to improve the quality of life of the animal athlete and allow for the continuance of engaging in sporting activities.
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13 May 2012
Handout that goes with the PT Pain Management Video. Print it out and follow along!
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13 May 2012
Whether the surgical technique is a femoral head and neck excision, triple pelvic osteotomy, fracture repair, total hip replacement, or another, the therapy goals for any post-operative procedure will be to reduce pain, improve mobility, facilitate weight bearing and early return to function, regain muscle mass, improve joint stability, maintain joint flexibility, retrain proprioception, balance, coordination, and postural stability, and rebuild cardiovascular endurance. These goals can be categorized into stages of healing.
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13 May 2012
Pancarpal arthrodesis is defined as surgically induced osseous union of the carpus. Factors leading to the necessitation of a pancarpal arthrodesis are generally a severe palmar carpal sprain secondary to a hyperextension injury to that joint or a disease process. As compared to other articular surgical interventions where the rehabilitation targets the affected joint and its most proximal soft tissue structures, physiotherapy for a post operative pancarpal arthrodesis primarily targets the adjacent joints and their corresponding soft tissue structures as well as bone demineralization / osteoporosis. Additionally, focus on overall function is of great importance.
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13 May 2012
A coxofemoral excision arthroplasty involves the surgical removal of the femoral head and neck. It is a salvage procedure with the goal to eliminate bone to bone contact at the hip and results in the formation of a functional pseudarthrosis (a scar tissue joint). Physical therapy should be started the day after surgery, and incorporate range of motion (ROM) into flexion, extension and abduction. Aggressive analgesic therapy may assist in early ambulation and rapid return to normal function. As well, use of therapeutic modalities can aid in pain relief and soft tissue healing and hence improved functioning.
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13 May 2012
Presented at the Third International Symposium on Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine, Research Triangle, North Carolina, 2004.
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13 May 2012
Sensory integration is the ability to take in, sort out and connect information from the world around us. It takes place automatically as info is taken in through the senses (nerves, spinal cord and brain). It is refined and enhanced through out life by sensory experiences. It allows us to adapt to our environment and the events that come into our life.
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13 May 2012
The canine shoulder apparatus is unique as compared to other canine joints and also when compared to the human shoulder. When compared to the hind limb it is interesting to note that the front limb has no boney attachment to the axial skeleton in that there is no clavicle in the canine. This factor alone means that muscular strength and co-ordination is of utmost importance to full functioning of the front limb. This is why identification and treatment of front limb muscle injuries is critically important for athletic or just high energy dogs who are most prone to injuring shoulder muscles. The teres major muscle is one that is commonly strained, often unidentified, and hence not as effectively treated as it could be in the active canine patient.
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13 May 2012
Presented at the Third International Symposium on Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine, Research Triangle, North Carolina, 2004.
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13 May 2012
Dogs are popular pets in western societies and have shared their lives with humans for more than 12 000 years and pet ownership has contributed to the quality of life of the human. Dog bites however have been a recognized problem with serious health implications, both physical and emotional and immeasurable hidden costs to communities. As rehab professionals working with dogs, it is important to understand the problem of fear biting and aggression in order to work with animals and maintain personal safety.
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13 May 2012
Just like the title states - these are considerations for those from outside the veterinary field to consider when working with animals. This article involves reviewing information on allergies, and specific zoonotic diseases associated with working with animal and will provide general information on personal hygiene, the use of sharps, and physical injuries.
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11 May 2012
Neural assessment & treatment for dural tension restrictions. Handout from slides... pictures included!
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11 May 2012
The Central Nervous System, Peripheral Nervous System and Autonomic Nervous System are adjoined, continuous and constantly under some degree of tension.The connective tissue attachment and continuity of the neural structures, as well as the inherent resting tension means that movement of one body part will have an effect on the nervous system elsewhere in the body and can also restrict movement when too tight. These tissues however have the ability to adapt and a normal nervous system will allow full flexibility.
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11 May 2012
How to get started, business aspects to think about, and marketing.
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11 May 2012
Edge-Hughes L. The Business of Animal Rehab. The Animal Rehab Division Newsletter. Summer 2010: pp 7 – 10.
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11 May 2012
Printable
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09 May 2012
Now is the time to look at your canine rehab business. Have you started yet? Do you need some help there? Do you have a marketing plan? How savvy are you with your management knowledge (and this topic is extremely vast in the sorts of things you need to manage!)? Are you paying attention to client satisfaction? How can you improve your customer service? What are you doing to stay motivated and committed? Ask yourself these questions now! (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Training Video

09 May 2012
Are you doing all that you can (most of what you can, or even a little of what you can) to improve upon your canine rehab knowledge and practice? Are you staying sharp? Are you paying attention to the right things within your practice and business? What should you be focusing on in order to be a better practitioner and in order to grow your canine rehabilitation / physiotherapy business? Ask yourself these questions now! (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Training Video

09 May 2012
(Password: FreeStuff) Are you doing all that you can (most of what you can, or even a little of what you can) to improve upon your canine rehab knowledge and practice? Are you staying sharp? Are you paying attention to the right things within your practice and business? What should you be focusing on in order to be a better practitioner and in order to grow your canine rehabilitation / physiotherapy business? Ask yourself these questions now!
Play Training Video

09 May 2012
(Password: FreeStuff) Now is the time to look at your canine rehab business. Have you started yet? Do you need some help there? Do you have a marketing plan? How savvy are you with your management knowledge (and this topic is extremely vast in the sorts of things you need to manage!)? Are you paying attention to client satisfaction? How can you improve your customer service? What are you doing to stay motivated and committed? Ask yourself these questions now!
Play Training Video

09 May 2012
Now is the time to look at your canine rehab business. Have you started yet? Do you need some help there? Do you have a marketing plan? How savvy are you with your management knowledge (and this topic is extremely vast in the sorts of things you need to manage!)? Are you paying attention to client satisfaction? How can you improve your customer service? What are you doing to stay motivated and committed? Ask yourself these questions now!
View Article

09 May 2012
Are you doing all that you can (most of what you can, or even a little of what you can) to improve upon your canine rehab knowledge and practice? Are you staying sharp? Are you paying attention to the right things within your practice and business? What should you be focusing on in order to be a better practitioner and in order to grow your canine rehabilitation / physiotherapy business? Ask yourself these questions now!
View Article

09 May 2012
All practitioners involved in small animal health care are well aware of the fact that some animals are not surgical candidates, either due to age, poor health, an inadequate state of fitness, and/or because of financial constraints, or owners’ beliefs. This subset of patients deserves a chance at optimal function as much as those that are prime surgical candidates with owners willing and able to bear the financial burden of surgery.
Download Right click the link and select Save As to download the audio file.

26 Apr 2012
All practitioners involved in small animal health care are well aware of the fact that some animals are not surgical candidates, either due to age, poor health, an inadequate state of fitness, and/or because of financial constraints, or owners’ beliefs. This subset of patients deserves a chance at optimal function as much as those that are prime surgical candidates with owners willing and able to bear the financial burden of surgery. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Video Presentation

16 Apr 2012
Download & listen to this presentation instead!
Download Right click the link and select Save As to download the audio file.

16 Apr 2012
Video presentation regarding PT Pain Management in Sports Medicine. You can click the icon in the bottom of the screen to make the video full screen.Canine athletes can suffer from a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries, which may impede their ability to compete in their sport until the injury is fully resolved. However, a good number of athletes may suffer from painful chronic musculoskeletal conditions that are not injuries per se, but rather conditions of overuse or aging. One such condition is osteoarthritis, which can be managed with physical therapy applications in order to improve the quality of life of the animal athlete and allow for the continuance of engaging in sporting activities. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Video Presentation

09 Apr 2012
Audio file of the same PT Assessment Presentation
Download Right click the link and select Save As to download the audio file.

09 Apr 2012
Printable Cheat-Sheet to help with your diagnostic thought processing for the Cervico-Thoracic-Shoulder Region.
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09 Apr 2012
Printable Cheat-Sheet to help with your diagnostic thought processing for the Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Region.
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09 Apr 2012
Often the most important part of successful rehab is the assessment and diagnosis made by the rehab therapist. Physical therapists already possess unique assessment skills, and vets trained in animal rehab should have received additional training in physical therapy assessment skills in order to augment their veterinary diagnostics and create an appropriate rehab plan. The assessment techniques, enhanced deductive reasoning, and overall examination of function are what physical therapy and physical therapists are giving to the veterinary field.
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09 Apr 2012
Often the most important part of successful rehab is the assessment and diagnosis made by the rehab therapist. The assessment techniques, novel deductive reasoning skills, and examination of overall function are what physical therapy and physical therapists are bringing to the veterinary field. • Veterinary medicine tends to rely on what can be called a ‘patho-anatomical’ diagnosis, whereas physical therapy and human medicine to a certain extent look at what can be termed a ‘patho-functional’ assessment. Differences will be elucidated.• Weak muscles, short muscles, tight muscles, overactive muscles, joint restrictions (articular movement dysfunctions), peripheral nerve impairments, and/or pain can impact the FUNCTION of a patient.• Joint-play, end-feels, myotomes, dermatomes, resisted tests, and special tests... and how they impact your physical examination and ultimate diagnosis. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Video Presentation

09 Apr 2012
Audio file of the same PT Assessment Presentation
Download Right click the link and select Save As to download the audio file.

09 Apr 2012
This assessment ’tick-sheet’ will help you to remember ALL of the things you should be doing when performing a musculoskeletal assessment.
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06 Apr 2012
Print off part 1 of the Neuro exam to guide you through your testing and thought processing for a neuro evaluation.
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06 Apr 2012
Print off part 2 of the Neuro exam to remind yourself about cranial nerves and your FUNCTIONAL assessment of the animal.
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06 Apr 2012
Printable onto your own letterhead
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06 Apr 2012
Printable onto your own letterhead
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06 Apr 2012
Printable onto your own letterhead
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03 Apr 2012
This assessment ’tick-sheet’ will help you to remember ALL of the things you should be doing when performing a musculoskeletal assessment.
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03 Apr 2012
Often the most important part of successful rehab is the assessment and diagnosis made by the rehab therapist. Physical therapists already possess unique assessment skills, and vets trained in animal rehab should have received additional training in physical therapy assessment skills in order to augment their veterinary diagnostics and create an appropriate rehab plan. The assessment techniques, enhanced deductive reasoning, and overall examination of function are what physical therapy and physical therapists are giving to the veterinary field.
View Article

03 Apr 2012
Often the most important part of successful rehab is the assessment and diagnosis made by the rehab therapist. The assessment techniques, novel deductive reasoning skills, and examination of overall function are what physical therapy and physical therapists are bringing to the veterinary field. • Veterinary medicine tends to rely on what can be called a ‘patho-anatomical’ diagnosis, whereas physical therapy and human medicine to a certain extent look at what can be termed a ‘patho-functional’ assessment. Differences will be elucidated.• Weak muscles, short muscles, tight muscles, overactive muscles, joint restrictions (articular movement dysfunctions), peripheral nerve impairments, and/or pain can impact the FUNCTION of a patient.• Joint-play, end-feels, myotomes, dermatomes, resisted tests, and special tests... and how they impact your physical examination and ultimate diagnosis. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Video Presentation

27 Mar 2012
L Edge-Hughes. Canine Hip and Sacroiliac Disease: Selected Disorders and their Management with Physical Therapy. Clin Tech Sm Anim Pract 22:183-194, 2007.
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27 Mar 2012
Canine dementia can go by the synonyms of senility, senile dementia, senile cerebral dysfunction, cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction. Research is coming closer to understanding the reasons for this disease occurrence. Use of nutrition and supplementation has been shown to be effective in both the prevention and treatment of this disease of aging. As well, physical therapy techniques that are currently applied to the human Alzheimer’s disease patient may have a role to play in the treatment or prevention of this very similar disease process in the canine.
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27 Mar 2012
Printable too!
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27 Mar 2012
Printable!
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26 Mar 2012
Presented at the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Convention, Calgary, Alberta, July 2010
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26 Mar 2012
The field of animal health care is changing rapidly. This phenomenon is partly due to the knowledge transfer from the human health care field to the veterinary field, but also to the fact that animal owners are expecting and demanding more alternative health care options and a wider range of services for their pets.
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26 Mar 2012
Rehabilitation pyramid (from Hertel, Deneger: A rehabilitation paradigm for restoring neuromuscular control following injury. Athl Ther Today, 3: 12 – 16; 1998)
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26 Mar 2012
Presented as an oral abstract at the 2008 Congress of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Ottawa, Ontario
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26 Mar 2012
Hold onto your sunglasses! You’ve seen them in the exhibit hall at the conferences, you’ve heard about them in the lectures, you’re seeing them advertised in magazines, and maybe your colleagues are extolling their virtues.
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26 Mar 2012
The animal industry has always been closely akin to the human field of medicine in many aspects. Surgical and diagnostic procedures, techniques, and equipment developed for humans are swift to appear in veterinary practice shortly there after.
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16 Feb 2012
Learn or review how to conduct a basic neurologic assessment on a dog. Reflexes, postural reactions, basic neuro-anatomy, and critical thinking in regards to neurologic cases are discussed. (Scroll upwards after pressing ’play’ to actually watch the video!)
Play Video Presentation