Prioritising Pain Management in Animal Physiotherapy: Building Strength From a Healthy Foundation
At the heart of every successful rehabilitation plan lies one essential principle: addressing pain first.
As veterinary physiotherapists, we prioritise ensuring your horse or dog is comfortable and pain-free before we begin working on building strength, coordination, or mobility. Just like in people, pain can limit movement, slow healing, and even alter behaviour. That’s why pain management is the foundation of everything we do.
Why Managing Pain Comes First
Whether your animal is recovering from injury, surgery, or managing a long-term condition like arthritis, untreated pain can create a cycle of stiffness, weakness, and further discomfort. It can also impact their confidence, mood, and willingness to move – all of which are essential for effective rehabilitation.
When your animal is more comfortable, we can begin to:
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Restore natural movement patterns
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Improve joint mobility
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Build strength and endurance safely
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Encourage confident and active participation in therapy
My Approach to Pain Management
Pain management in physiotherapy is gentle, targeted, and highly individualised. Depending on your animal’s condition and temperament, we may use a combination of:
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Manual Therapy Techniques
Including soft tissue release, joint mobilisations, and stretching to relieve muscle tension, improve circulation and reduce discomfort. -
Electrotherapy
Non-invasive treatments such as TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), or other therapeutic modalities to support tissue healing and ease pain. -
Home Advice & Movement Plans
We'll guide you through simple techniques, advice, and gentle exercises you can use at home to help keep your animal comfortable between sessions.
Together, these approaches create a supportive environment where healing can begin, and strength and movement can safely return.
Working Closely With Your Vet
It’s important to recognise that some aspects of pain management – such as medication or injections – are strictly within your veterinary surgeon’s remit. In those cases, We work closely with your vet to ensure we have the right balance of medical and physical therapies to support your animal’s recovery.
This collaborative approach helps ensure your pet or horse receives the best possible care, every step of the way.
Building a Brighter Future
Our goal is always to see your animal move more freely, feel more comfortable, and regain the quality of life they deserve. Prioritising pain management allows us to build strength and mobility from a strong, healthy foundation – not just for short-term relief, but for long-term wellbeing.
If you’d like to learn more about how physiotherapy can help your dog or horse, feel free to contact us for an assessment.