Description
Katie Meredith will discuss Introduction to Veterinary Physiotherapy. The Role of The Veterinary Physiotherapist in General Practice. The role of Physiotherapy within all realms of human medicine is well established and used for anything from rehabilitation post surgery, injury or neurological insult to cardiac rehabilitation, respiratory care, and optimising performance in the human athlete. As an evidence based allied health profession, Physiotherapy forms an essential part of the multidisciplinary approach to human treatment. This lecture aims to explore the role of the Veterinary Physiotherapist within the General Veterinary Practice team, discussing what the Physiotherapist looks for on assessment, the kind of conditions that Physiotherapy can influence and touching upon the type of treatment modalities used. Physiotherapists use a comprehensive assessment process looking at the animal's movement patterns (orthopaedic and neurological components), muscle balance and function, and a thorough palpatory examination in order to identify the problems that are then listed to form a treatment plan. This treatment plan ensures that each issue is addressed in order to manage the presenting condition as well as any compensatory changes that may have occurred, with the overall aims being to decrease pain, optimise function and normalise movement. This lecture will also discuss the legal requirement for Veterinary referral, the information required in that referral and the topic of protection of title.