Laurie's Blogs.

I just got back from the STAAR conference in the United States.  It's one I've gone to (as an instructor) for the last 5 years.  It's a great conference with lots of hands on training for participants, networking for everyone, camaraderie all around, and good food too!  Not only is it fun, but the quality of 'learning' is better than any other canine rehab / physio conference out there!  (Of course I'm biased!)

In regards to teaching, one of the things I am best known for is manual therapy.  That means 'hands on' assessment and treatment of the spine, joints, and muscle.  This particular time around, I did a pre-conference course on Basic Manual Therapy for the Canine Spine.  This course encompassed the hands on assessment of the vertebral joints (facets) in the neck, thoracic & lumbar spines, the ribs, and the pelvis (sacroiliac joints).  Students were then also taught some basic mobilizations (i.e. very specific joint movements) to treat pain and stiffness in these areas.  

Since coming home (and actually after every one of these types of course I teach), I get e-mails.  My students expound upon how amazing it is to be able to treat their canine patients at a whole new level.  The results they are getting are amazing as compared to the past.  They simply can't believe it and are shocked at how much they were missing before learning about how to assess and treat the spine and it's counterparts.

Now think about yourself… how many of you can honestly say that you have no issues in your neck, back, ribs, pelvis…?  I bet it's very few of you.  I always say 'There's no such thing as a 'normal' human.  We all have an issue somewhere.'  So why not the dogs?  Well, at my clinic (The Canine Fitness Centre) we are also currently doing a review of our clinic caseload over a three year period, and it turns out that well over 50% of the dogs we treat have either a primary (as in it is the main issue causing lameness or pain) or secondary ('bonus' pain) problem in the spine / ribs / pelvis.  So, when these problems aren't being addressed and fixed… then the animal will continue to have problems! 

But it's even more complex than that!  You can treat the joints, but what about the muscles?  That's where physiotherapy is a fabulous profession.  We treat joints, we treat muscles, we prescribe exercises to maintain the 'fixing' that we've done, and we have tools to treat inflammation and pain as well.  It really is the most all encompassing of the therapies available!  But not all of the 'canine rehabilitation therapists / practitioners' out there are treating in a comprehensive manner.  And that's where I would like to urge you all to step up to the challenge and continue to upgrade and expand your knowledge!  Learn manual therapy!  Address joints and muscle together in a comprehensive manner and make a bigger impact in the lives of the patients in your care!

The reason I teach manual therapy (and why it's my most favourite thing to teach) is that is makes such a huge difference.  It tends to address those undiagnosed lameness cases.  It helps the canine athletes perform better.  And your patient can literally walk out the door feeling better than how he came in!  I believe that dogs deserve to have an existence unencumbered by pain, and as a physiotherapist, I know that I can contribute to that in a significant way… and I want you to as well!

I'd love to see you at a course one day, and if that's too tricky to swing anytime soon… then keep up with or sign on for membership with FourLeg.com, and look into purchasing my Basic Manual Assessment & Treatment of the Canine Axial Skeleton book to get you started!  The tools are here for you to expand the difference that you make!  That's why I did all of this!

Until next time… Cheers!

Laurie