How it all began...
Julie's interest in animal physical therapy developed from her own dog, Tucker. In 1998, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at eight months of age and due to the severity of his condition, the vets anticipated that he would require a hip replacement after he was fully grown. Being a physical therapy student at the time, Julie knew that every person who undergoes a hip replacement has intensive physical therapy. And she knew that Tucker deserved the best treatment and care possible!
Determined to learn enough to translate her physical therapy knowledge over to her dog's body, she began researching the field of animal physical therapy. Julie discovered that the animal physical therapy field was just emerging. After taking her first course in canine physical therapy at the University of Tennessee veterinary school, Julie said, "That weekend was the best weekend of my life!” Indeed, it was the start of a new career path that involved the blending of her two passions – dogs and physical therapy! (Little did she know then that she would eventually be moving to Knoxville!)
Since that first course at UT, Julie took several canine physical therapy courses offered to physical therapists, did a tremendous amount of self-study, observed canine surgeries, and began treating dogs in 2000. Tucker is now eleven years old and has lived a long, active life with strong legs and minimal discomfort. He never needed surgery.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Who should perform a pet's physical therapy?
The best and most qualified professional to perform animal physical therapy is a licensed physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of animals. It is important for the physical therapist to work closely with the veterinarians. Be cautious about the therapist's credentials and experience. It is important for the consumer to understand that being certified in "canine rehabilitation" or "canine massage" does not necessarily mean the individual is qualified to be providing this type of service. The ideal model of animal physical therapy is for veterinarians to refer their patients to licensed physical therapists for evaluation and treatment, with the PTA and vet tech assisting the PT in the treatment of the animal.
Only a licensed physical therapist (PT) or licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA) working under the supervision of a physical therapist are allowed by law to perform physical therapy (on humans). Veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians are legally able to do physical therapy with animals; however, education on physical therapy is not routinely a part of their schooling. Although there is currently no formal training or degree programs, there are weekend courses available for PTs, PTAs, vets, and vet techs to study animal physical therapy. Also available to these professionals are certification programs in canine rehabilitation and equine rehabilitation.
The certification programs include a series of weekend courses. Keep in mind that the training is minimal in comparison to that which physical therapists go through in graduate programs. Graduate programs in physical therapy are typically 3 years of full time coursework as well as hundreds of hours of clinical training/experience. Therefore, the licensed physical therapist has a far greater depth of rehabilitation knowledge -- biomechanics (how the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves work in terms of movement), physiology of injury and recover, how to evaluate and develop the most effective treatment plan specific to each individual patient, etc.
This is not to say that a veterinarian or veterinary technician can not provide competent and effective rehabilitative care. I have personally met some veterinary professionals who do a wonderful job with rehabilitative services. The point is simply that the physical therapist is trained in depth in rehabilitation and amazingly, the animal anatomy and physiology is almost identical to that of the human. Therefore, it is fairly easy to apply that depth of knowledge to another species. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not have that depth of rehabilitative knowledge under their belts from their veterinary training, so more extensive self-study and experience are necessary to learn all the nuts and bolts of the science of physical therapy.
I get numerous requests from people of all ages (from kids who dream of becoming an animal physical therapist to adults who are looking to change careers) wanting to know what path of education to take to maximize their success in the field. I tell every one of them that it is optimal to learn the science of physical therapy by going to physical therapy school (even though it is based on the human body), and then once a PT, there are great continuing education courses offered to help therapists apply the knowledge and skills to dogs and horses. In the future, there will be formal graduate programs in animal physical therapy and a more direct path can be taken to enter the profession.
Education levels...
Physical therapists receive a Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree and then must pass a state licensing exam to practice physical therapy. (In earlier years, PTs received Bachelor degrees. However, all physical therapy programs are either at the Masters or Doctorate level now.) Physical therapy programs are approximately 3 years in length at the graduate level.
Physical therapist assistants receive an Associate's degree and most programs are approximately 2 years in length. PTAs may treat patients under the supervision of a physical therapist and are not allowed to do evaluations or make changes in treatment plans without approval of the supervising PT.
Veterinarians receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and must pass a licensing exam to practice veterinary medicine. Their education is 4 years in length at the graduate level. As with most professions, to become a specialist, such as an orthopedic surgeon, more extensive education is required. Many vets have openly admitted to me that they learned nothing about physical therapy in their programs.
Veterinary technician education varies from state to state. Many vet techs are trained on-the-job and have had no formal training. Others who are licensed veterinary technicians graduated with an Associate's degree - approximately 2 years of training. Veterinary technicians also do not typically learn physical therapy as part of their schooling.
Only a licensed physical therapist (PT) or licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA) working under the supervision of a physical therapist are allowed by law to perform physical therapy (on humans). Veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians are legally able to do physical therapy with animals; however, education on physical therapy is not routinely a part of their schooling. Although there is currently no formal training or degree programs, there are weekend courses available for PTs, PTAs, vets, and vet techs to study animal physical therapy. Also available to these professionals are certification programs in canine rehabilitation and equine rehabilitation.
The certification programs include a series of weekend courses. Keep in mind that the training is minimal in comparison to that which physical therapists go through in graduate programs. Graduate programs in physical therapy are typically 3 years of full time coursework as well as hundreds of hours of clinical training/experience. Therefore, the licensed physical therapist has a far greater depth of rehabilitation knowledge -- biomechanics (how the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves work in terms of movement), physiology of injury and recover, how to evaluate and develop the most effective treatment plan specific to each individual patient, etc.
This is not to say that a veterinarian or veterinary technician can not provide competent and effective rehabilitative care. I have personally met some veterinary professionals who do a wonderful job with rehabilitative services. The point is simply that the physical therapist is trained in depth in rehabilitation and amazingly, the animal anatomy and physiology is almost identical to that of the human. Therefore, it is fairly easy to apply that depth of knowledge to another species. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not have that depth of rehabilitative knowledge under their belts from their veterinary training, so more extensive self-study and experience are necessary to learn all the nuts and bolts of the science of physical therapy.
I get numerous requests from people of all ages (from kids who dream of becoming an animal physical therapist to adults who are looking to change careers) wanting to know what path of education to take to maximize their success in the field. I tell every one of them that it is optimal to learn the science of physical therapy by going to physical therapy school (even though it is based on the human body), and then once a PT, there are great continuing education courses offered to help therapists apply the knowledge and skills to dogs and horses. In the future, there will be formal graduate programs in animal physical therapy and a more direct path can be taken to enter the profession.
Education levels...
Physical therapists receive a Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree and then must pass a state licensing exam to practice physical therapy. (In earlier years, PTs received Bachelor degrees. However, all physical therapy programs are either at the Masters or Doctorate level now.) Physical therapy programs are approximately 3 years in length at the graduate level.
Physical therapist assistants receive an Associate's degree and most programs are approximately 2 years in length. PTAs may treat patients under the supervision of a physical therapist and are not allowed to do evaluations or make changes in treatment plans without approval of the supervising PT.
Veterinarians receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and must pass a licensing exam to practice veterinary medicine. Their education is 4 years in length at the graduate level. As with most professions, to become a specialist, such as an orthopedic surgeon, more extensive education is required. Many vets have openly admitted to me that they learned nothing about physical therapy in their programs.
Veterinary technician education varies from state to state. Many vet techs are trained on-the-job and have had no formal training. Others who are licensed veterinary technicians graduated with an Associate's degree - approximately 2 years of training. Veterinary technicians also do not typically learn physical therapy as part of their schooling.
What is Animal Physical Therapy?
Animal physical therapy (commonly referred to as physical rehabilitation) is a rapidly developing field of health care for animals. The benefits of physical therapy have long been recognized in humans. More recently, research in the veterinary field has shown the same benefits of physical therapy to be true for animal patients.
Performing orthopedic or neurological surgery or fitting an animal with a cast or splint, and then discharging the patient without proper rehabilitative care are outdated approaches. Similarly, if an animal has an injury, chronic pain, or arthritis, he/she should be referred for physical therapy.
Physical therapy intervention plays an enormous role in the recovery and maintenance of numerous conditions. If your animal has been injured or requires surgery, physical therapy can speed the healing time and result in a better recovery. If your pet is experiencing pain or neurological symptoms, begins to limp, is overweight, or is just physically "out-of-shape," physical rehabilitation, along with proper veterinary care, can help to improve your animal's condition, well being, and quality of life!
For more information about animal physical therapy, please visit www.pt4animals.com.
Performing orthopedic or neurological surgery or fitting an animal with a cast or splint, and then discharging the patient without proper rehabilitative care are outdated approaches. Similarly, if an animal has an injury, chronic pain, or arthritis, he/she should be referred for physical therapy.
Physical therapy intervention plays an enormous role in the recovery and maintenance of numerous conditions. If your animal has been injured or requires surgery, physical therapy can speed the healing time and result in a better recovery. If your pet is experiencing pain or neurological symptoms, begins to limp, is overweight, or is just physically "out-of-shape," physical rehabilitation, along with proper veterinary care, can help to improve your animal's condition, well being, and quality of life!
For more information about animal physical therapy, please visit www.pt4animals.com.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
More about Julie
Julie Stuart, founder of Physical Therapy for Animals, is a licensed physical therapist with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy. She recently relocated to Knoxville, TN from the New England area where she owned New England Physical Therapy for Animals, a private practice specializing in physical therapy and hydrotherapy for dogs. She also worked at Tufts University Veterinary School, where she did inpatient physical therapy for the hospitalized animals for six years. She was the 2nd PT in the country to be hired by a veterinary school. Julie is one of the most experienced animal physical therapists in the country. She works primarily with dogs that have had orthopedic and neurological injuries. She is an expert in helping dogs with paralysis regain function and return to walking. Julie is dedicated to educating pet owners in the benefits of physical therapy and empowering pet owners by teaching them how to perform their own pet’s therapy at home daily.
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