Integrative Medicine in Crystal Lake

Therapeutic physical exercise is the cornerstone of any great physical rehabilitation program.

Several exercises are appropriate for a plethora of conditions and offer many benefits for your pet. With targeted physical exercises, we can:

• Improve cartilage and ligament health
• Improve muscle mass and strength
• Prevent or reverse osteoporosis
• Increase circulation
• Decrease pain
• Reduce obesity
• Improve function and mobility
• Improve flexibility and range of motion
• Improve balance and senses
• Increase endurance and stamina

Low-impact aquatic therapy can help improve strength, range of motion, and endurance.

The buoyancy properties of water minimize weight-bearing stress on the joints, which helps prevent tissue injuries, inflammation, and pain.

Aquatic therapy is appropriate for:

• Post-operative orthopedic procedures
• Neurological conditions
• Osteoarthritis patients
• Overweight patients

We conduct hydrotherapy at our hospital using an underwater treadmill. The underwater treadmill promotes controlled weight-bearing by varying water levels. 

Manual techniques refer to massage, passive range of motion, stretches, and joint mobilization.

These are all important components of any rehabilitation program and can help alleviate pain, increase circulation, promote relaxation and improve tissue extensibility.

Cold (low-level) laser is a drug-free, non-invasive therapy frequently used with rehab patients to increase the quality, speed, and tensile strength of tissue repair. It is also helpful for reducing pain and inflammation.

This safe, effective and precise therapy is used to treat several conditions such as soft tissue injuries, post-operative conditions, arthritis, and wounds.

Therapeutic ultrasound can improve your pet's mobility and promote soft tissue health. It reduces scar tissue and enhances repair to the bone structure by providing thermal and non-thermal mechanical stimulation.

This promotes the healing of tissue (muscles, tendons, joint capsules, ligaments) and bones.

During the ultrasound, a pulsed or continuous sound wave can be applied using varied heads to determine the depth of sound wave penetration. Depending on the tissue and condition, the intensity of the treatment may also be adjusted.

Several conditions respond well to this treatment, including:

• Muscle contracture
• Muscle strains
• Spasms
• Tendonitis
• Calcified tendons
• Fracture healing
• Ligament sprains
• Chronic synovitis

In some situations, your pet's chronic ailments may be alleviated by losing weight. Among other things, excess weight can cause increased joint stress, heighten the risk of heart disease, and make your pet more susceptible to conditions such as diabetes. 

Our integrated medicine team can work with you to create a weight loss program for your pet to help bring them back to an optimal healthy weight. Our programs may include things such as exercise recommendations and diet changes to help get your pet back on track. 

Using a microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulator, we use a very specific, small wavelength of electricity to treat pain and slow macular degeneration. This type of therapy has a cumulative effect, and studies have shown that many patients feel that pain is alleviated long-term with regular treatments.

Electrical stimulation can be used to treat pain disorders, neurological dysfunction, sprains, spasms and strains, and post-operative pain and scars.

Physical therapy is an essential element in your pet's recovery, whether they have been impacted by injury, trauma, surgery, chronic pain, neurological condition, or other circumstance.

With a custom rehabilitation and therapeutic program, we can focus on pain management and prioritizing their overall health while reaching your pet's goals, which may include building your pet's balance and coordination, endurance, and stamina. 

All of these are conducive to healing, to ensure your pet feels their best and that the two of you get to spend many more years together.

Physical therapy can be used to treat a wide range of conditions your pet may have, such as:

• Osteoarthritis
• Recovery after major surgery (hip surgery, cruciate repair, limb amputation, etc.)
• Spinal injuries
• Disc disease (IVDD)
• Soft tissue injuries
• Obesity
• Chronic pain

Our Integrative Medicine team is highly trained in working with animals, controlling pain, and promoting mobility. 

Based on your pet's condition, and an assessment from our experienced veterinary specialists and therapy team, we can determine your pet's unique therapeutic requirements, including the duration of their customized treatment program.

Depending on your pet's condition and requirements, at-home exercises may help promote healing and progress in physical therapy.

Always consult your veterinarian and/or therapy team on if and when at-home exercises should be part of your pet's treatment, and which ones would be helpful.