Appointments: 973-219-6194
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About Cullen Canine Therapy
Why Choose Us?
When you call Cullen Canine Therapy, you're dealing directly with a highly experienced Physical Therapist who is also a certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist! Canine Rehabilitation is a fairly new but emerging field geared toward helping both the dog and dog owner. Canine therapy aims to promote physical activity and overall health; prevent and/or rehabilitate disease, disability, and injury; and manage/improve acute and chronic conditions, activity limitations and physical performance through intervention & owner education. There is substantial emphasis on physical examination, clinical impression, subjective and objective impression, physical interventions and client education.
The practice of Canine Rehabilitation recognizes that, like people, dogs can benefit from a tailored exercise program and therapeutic modalities to decrease pain, promote healing, improve fitness and restore mobility.
Services offered:
Evaluation
A written referral from your veterinarian is required for Canine Rehab in the State of Virginia. Click the link at the bottom of the page for a printable referral form! Once we receive the referral, a thorough evaluation of your dog will be performed by us. We'll do a medical history review, orthopedic and neurological testing, range of motion, flexibility, posture, gait pattern, balance and proprioception. Once the evaluation is completed, we can generate a patient treatment plan to achieve our rehab goals.
Therapeutic Exercises
Exercises for your pet may include active and passive range of motion, active stretching and strengthening exercises as well as functional activities and weightbearing activities. Owners will be given a written Home Exercise Program that will be progressed as tolerated.
Balance and Proprioception Training
Following orthopedic procedures, surgical repairs or neurological conditions, there is often a loss of balance, sensation and proprioception. A variety of techniques, exercises, and activities can be implemented to restore normal weightbearing to affected limbs and normalize gait pattern.
Joint and Spinal Mobilization
When joints do not move properly, the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments tighten. This causes decreased range of motion and reduces the ability to move and function normally. The loss of spinal mobility and the narrowing of intervertebral spaces can compress discs and nerves, resulting in weakness in the limbs and neurological deficits. Joint and spinal mobilization addresses these issues.
Soft Tissue Massage
We use a variety of targeted massage types, including effleurage, petrissage, trigger point massage and deep friction massage. Proper soft tissue alignment, tone and mobility is required for normal function of the tissue, and our goal is to restore that. The benefits of effleurage and petrissage include increased relaxation of tight muscles, increased blood flow and healing, pain relief, and improvement of contractures. Deep friction massage is indicated for scar tissue, tendonitis, contractures, trigger points and muscle spasm.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and TENS
Electrical stimulation is a commonly used modality in physical therapy. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is used for strengthening and muscle re-education. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is used for pain control, and often for post-surgical pain control. Electrical impulses are delivered by electrodes placed on the skin.
Common CondiTions Treated
Some common conditions a CCRT will treat include:
- Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
- Soft Tissue injuries
- Tendinopathy
- Pre- and Post-surgical recovery
- Neurological conditions
- Pain management
- Patella luxations
- Osteoarthritis
- Cranial Cruciate Ligament tears and strains
About Kathy Cullen, PT, CPT, CRT
Kathy Cullen practiced "Human" Physical Therapy for over 30 years, after receiving specialized degrees from New York University (NYU) School of Physical Therapy and Seton Hall Law School (Master of Health Law and Public Policy program). She is also a certified personal trainer, and runs her own personal training business as well as a popular non-profit community farmers market! She recently completed her certification as a CRT (Canine Rehabilitation Therapist) from the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. This allows her to continue her passion for physical therapy and fitness, with our canine counterparts. Her extensive experience working in the in-home health care setting as a Physical Therapist shaped her decision to model her Canine Rehabilitation on the home care approach. This is why she formed a mobile rehab business, Cullen Canine Therapy. Her hope is to continue to promote fitness and overall health in geriatric, orthopedic and post-surgical dogs.