Aquatic Physiotherapy; Going beyond Hydrotherapy

The advent of aquatic rehabilitation in companion animals is reasonably new in Melbourne and Victoria. Fortunately these services are now becoming far more accessible for pet owners. However, a distinction is becoming obvious between those services which employ trained and qualified physiotherapists and those which do not. When investigating high quality companion animal rehabilitation options, there is a big difference between hydrotherapy and aquatic physiotherapy. Do you know the difference?

The generic term ‘hydrotherapy’ has been used to describe the use of water in rehabilitation. Until now the term has been sufficient to accurately describe the use of underwater treadmills and canine lap pools for rehabilitation and recovery activities. However, the proliferation of such services is muddying the waters when it comes to differentiating between what constitutes rehabilitative physiotherapy and what is simply a body of water in which to immerse a pet.

Just as with many medical and allied services, the quality of the practitioner is just as important as the quality of the equipment used. In the world of animal physiotherapy this is no exception, and there is an increasing difference between basic hydrotherapy and aquatic physiotherapy offered by fully qualified human and animal physiotherapists.

This difference goes far beyond the temperature of the water or speed of the treadmill belt. The key difference lies in the ability of the physiotherapist, who has completed a minimum of six years at university and several years in practice. Compared to those with no physiotherapy qualification, physiotherapists are infinitely better equipped and capable of assessing joint and muscle injuries and pathologies and subsequently administering and progressing the correct treatment for the condition present.

When it comes to rehabilitation post surgery or for conservative management of musculoskeletal or neurological conditions, vets and owners are able to discuss rehabilitation or management options with professionals who have treated hundreds of similar cases. Rather than a single piece of equipment such as an underwater treadmill being centrepiece of treatment, the knowledge and experience of a qualified physiotherapist is the key differentiator. Physiotherapists who have access to hydrotherapy equipment can offer what is termed aquatic physiotherapy. Aquatic physiotherapy is far more than blindly using an underwater treadmill for every case presentation. Rather, it is an integrated program of assessment, treatment and review designed to produce gold class rehabilitation results. Other physiotherapy aids and techniques are heavily used in addition to hydrotherapy to maximise the possibility of a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Should complications emerge a fully qualified physiotherapist conducts all physiotherapy reviews and communicates directly with the veterinarian and owner. Again, the cornerstone of this service is the expert assessment techniques found only in fully qualified and experienced physiotherapy professionals.

When it comes to rehabilitation, why would you trust your patients or pets to anyone less than a fully qualified physiotherapist with full access to aquatic physiotherapy facilities?

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