Whenever people injure themselves, a course of physiotherapy is often needed to help rebuild the strength back in the muscles and joints, and physical therapy is even more important for dogs.
Similarly, physiotherapy can take many forms, from massages and physical adjustments to hydrotherapy, and the latter can be extremely helpful for both people and their four-legged friends.
If your dog suffers from joint pains, muscle strains, or is recovering from a serious injury, hydrotherapy helps to support them as they start to move again, and helps to maximise the rate of recovery.
Part of it is that hydrotherapy pools tend to be warm, which encourages blood flow and muscles to relax, which in turn helps improve the range of motion for joints. It is why a hot bath after a hard day can be particularly invigorating.
As anyone who has used a heat pad can attest, increasing circulation helps to speed up recovery by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen around the body, reducing stiffness and swelling in the process.
Alongside this, the water itself helps to support a dog’s body weight, meaning that the joints do not have to carry a dog’s full weight, making a lot of movements easier to do in the early stages of recovery.
It also helps to provide more specific support for joints, allowing for a dog to move without worries about stressing existing weaknesses in the bones or muscles, making for a much safer way to exercise without worries of further injuries, at least until they are ready to scamper around again.
Finally, aquatic therapy works through resistance. Water gently pushes against muscles and joints, meaning that a dog has to exert more force to move at the same rate as they can in the air, further building up their muscles and getting themselves on the path to recovery.