Laurie's Blogs.

 

02
Nov 2024

Stretching and Pain Reduction in Humans with Knee Osteoarthritis

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

 I came across an interesting abstract.  It was a meta-analysis of papers on the subject of stretching and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and it also took into account other forms of therapies into their analysis.  The findings were interesting, and of course, I like t...
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26
Oct 2024

How Long Does It Take for a Head Tilt to Cause Neuroplastic Changes Leading to Permanent Postural Changes?

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

 The time it takes for a head tilt to result in neuroplastic changes that lead to permanent postural changes depends on several factors, such as the severity of the vestibular dysfunction, the age of the individual or animal, and the brain’s capacity for adaptation. Ho...
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19
Oct 2024

Neuroplastic Changes in the Brain from Prolonged Head Tilt in Vestibular Disorders: A Deep Dive

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

Based on a question that came up on a Vet-Rehab Forum, I was inspired to dig into the research on head tilting in vestibular dogs and neuoplasticity...  Keep reading to learn more! The vestibular system plays a crucial role in balance and spatial orientation for both hu...
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12
Oct 2024

Crying in Pain and Not Wanting to Get into Car or onto Couch… lumbosacral disc disease?

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

 This past week I had a client come in.  She had been to her vet earlier in the week as one of her Bernese Mountain Dogs was having episodes of crying pain and not wanting to move when it happened (most recently when getting out of a vehicle), unwillingness to get into ...
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05
Oct 2024

Head Tilting in Dogs

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

I came across what I think to be a super cute study! Sommese A, Miklósi Á, Pogány Á, Temesi A, Dror S, Fugazza C. An exploratory analysis of head-tilting in dogs. Anim Cogn. 2022 Jun;25(3):701-705.  So, I wanted to share it! This re...
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28
Sep 2024

Horner’s Syndrome

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

 This past weekend, I was asked to see a cat with possible vestibular disease.  However, the cat also had a bit of Horner’s syndrome and was on antibiotics for an ear infection.  So, I did some neuro tests (hopping, placing, flexor withdrawal).  They wer...
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21
Sep 2024

What percentage of dogs over 8 years of age have osteoarthritis?

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

Glad you asked!  A recent studies answers that exact question.  Here’s the answer. A little bit of background Primary osteoarthritis (OA) is idiopathic and associated with aging and obesity. In dogs, it is more commonly secondary, arising from structural...
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14
Sep 2024

TECAR Therapy Overview

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

  From that blog a couple of weeks ago – the review of the paper about rehab following femoral head and neck excision – there was a mention of Tecar therapy.  I thought, geez, I’m out of the loop, I need to look that up!  So I did!  Gues...
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07
Sep 2024

Understanding the Short Collateral Ligaments of the Tarsal Joints in Dogs

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

The tarsal joint, or hock, in dogs is a complex structure that plays a crucial role in their mobility and stability. Among the various components of this joint are the collateral ligaments, which are essential for maintaining joint stability during movement. These ligaments can b...
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31
Aug 2024

Rehab for a Post-Femoral Head & Neck Resection

Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, Cert. Sm. Anim. Acup / Dry Needling

I came across the following Pre-Print paper, because it had cited one of my previously written papers. Caramico M & De Dominicus S.  Advancing Physiatric Care: A Comprehensive Case Study on Laser Therapy and Hydrotherapy Integration Post-Femoral head and Neck Resect...
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