Page 111 - BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

VetBooks.ir Massage and touch therapies
ouch, if the patient en oys it, is useful in the
treatment of pain because it reduces blood
pressure and pain is a stressor that can
increase blood pressure and releases mood
neurotransmitters that include endorphins,
serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, oxytocin,
and prolactin. hese are variously related to
analgesia, mood, arousal states, and bonding
igure 6.16 .
The safest approach to massage is to use a
at hand approach. wners often want to use
their ngers to try to tackle the knots they can
feel trigger points in the way they may en oy a
therapeutic massage for themselves. his may
be helpful, but it may also cause a worsening of
Underwater treadmills help to achieve
better exion and extension of oints than
a pool.

dog and control the way they approach the
water. hey must also prevent the dog from
becoming too cold. Advantages include
dogs that are anxious about formal
hydrotherapy can bene t and even en oy
the therapy; it is free; and it may be more
fre uently accessed than the formal version.

Potential bene ts of all hydrotherapy forms
include a theoretical decrease in pain
perception; increase in blood circulation;
increase in sodium excretion by the kidneys; Touch can release neurotransmitters
and reduction of oedema. associated with pain relief.

PRACTICAL TIPS
For old, frail animals and animals with spinal problems only use an underwater treadmill or
gentle DIY hydrotherapy.
ey points of hydrotherapy
■ ccess to and e it from the water are the most important aspects of safety. entle slopes
should e found, prefera ly at each areas with a smooth surface
■ The dog should e well dried and ept warm after the session
■ tarting gently with the water up to hoc and carpus, get the dog used to wal ing ac and
forth along a short stretch of water m . or up to having the water at the level of the
greater trochanter over four sessions, once or twice wee ly. Then repeat twice or three
times wee ly, gradually increasing the num er of lengths from two to si over a month.
Teach the owner to monitor heart rate and to e aware of signs of e cessive tiring
■ hec that the pain is not getting worse after wee s.

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