Registered Veterinary Nurse Caz leads our patient rehabilitation clinics for patients with arthritis, those recovering from surgery, or those with musculoskeletal injuries or other mobility issues.
She makes use of various treatment modalities including laser treatment, PEMF mat treatment and therapeutic ultrasound, all of which you can find out more about below.
She will also advise about home modifications, and physiotherapy exercises.
An initial consultation with Caz is £47.50. Treatment modalities start at £30 per session and are all available at both our Torquay and Paignton surgeries. To book in, or for further information, give us a call.
Laser Treatment
Our ASA laser therapy unit is useful in treating many of the conditions we see every day in our patients.
How does laser treatment work?
A laser is a specific wavelength of light, in the case of our machine, infra red. This light is able to pass through the skin, unlike normal light, and penetrate the deeper tissues. Once in the deeper tissues the energy of the infrared light induces chemical, thermal and mechanical changes to the cells in the tissues. These changes cause:
A reduction in pain at the area brought about by reducing inflammation, swelling and muscle spasm; increasing natural endorphin synthesis and desensitising the nerves that signal pain.
A reduction in inflammation by inhibiting production of inflammatory mediators and altering the permeability of local blood vessels to ‘wash out’ pro-inflammatory chemical messengers that are produced by the body.
Accelerated healing time by changing the permeability of the local blood vessels (increasing the availability of nutrients, oxygen and growth factors essential for healing). The energy emitted has a positive effect in restoring and regulating cellular energy metabolism. It also acts as a direct stimulus to cell proliferation (multiplication) which speeds up the body’s normal healing functions by as much as 35% in published studies.
In humans, laser treatments have been used for many years on sports injuries, arthritic joints, and for back and neck pain.
Laser therapy is non-invasive, non-painful and non-toxic. Our staff have been fully trained and ASA laser therapy poses no risk of burns or discomfort unlike some other laser units available.
Laser treatment can help reduce our patients’ reliance on traditional medications and also helps to improve comfort and speed healing following the surgical procedures we perform.
You can read about how we have used laser to help our patients here:
Stance analysis
In 2021 we added a stance analyser, which offers us a more objective way of assessing our musculoskeletal patients and their response to treatment. It evaluates the way a patient is standing and shifting weight, to identify if there is a lameness issue and where to look for it.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy (PEMF) mat
During her nursing certificate in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, head veterinary nurse Caz learned about PEMF therapy, and we invested in a mat in 2023. PEMF can be used for our arthritic patients, and also post-surgery, to reduce pain and promote healing. You can find out more in a fact sheet created by Caz, here.
Xeva on the PEMF mat following cruciate surgery
Dexter on the PEMF mat during his laser therapy session
Therapeutic ultrasound
Therapeutic ultrasound works by enhancing healing and blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and as pain relief. It can also improve joint mobility and flexibility in pets suffering from arthritis.
Therapeutic ultrasound is non painful, and pets are not sedated for the session. Your pet’s fur will be shaved over the area to be treated before gel and then the ultrasound probe is applied to the skin. Most sessions last 10-20 minutes, and most pets will have 2-3 sessions per week for at least 4 weeks.
You can find out more in Caz’s factsheet here.
