Meet Animal Physiotherapist Sarah Hennessy

Sarah has spent all her life around animals, personally and professionally. After leaving school she attended Plumpton Agricultural College for 2 years where she studied horse management and the management of horses and also took her British Horse Society qualifications. She has worked mainly with horses competing on her own horses as well as grooming for professional riders, her resume includes grooming at Hickstead and Horse of the year show, as well as many other well known shows.

Sarah’s experience doesn’t just relate to horses she was also involved with breeding and showing of Irish Wolfhounds for the Nellwyns and Solstand kennels and even managed to qualify her parents Irish wolfhound and whippet for Crufts with which they won a 3^rd and a 4^th.

In 2011 Sarah decided to add to her qualifications with a Diploma in animal physiotherapy.

Qualifying in 2013 she has successfully treated everything from calves with twisted front legs, a bull with a torn gastrocnemius muscle, racehorses and greyhounds with fractures or pulled tendons, muscles and animals with arthritis.

Physiotherapy is a complementary medicine that uses a combination of massage, stretching and mobilisation techniques. Sarah can help restore and maintain the best performance and quality of life for your pet or performance animal. Owners are advised of exercises which can help their animal and a rehabilitation or exercise plan is prescribed.

Sarah also offers the following to compliment manual techniques.

• Used for treating muscle, tendon and ligaments, connective tissue, bone and skin tissue injuries. Phototherapy works by improving circulation, reducing inflammation and pain and accelerating the body’s own natural wound healing process.
• Ultrasound therapy. With Ultrasound waves not being able to pass through air we use a conductive gel on the head of the machine and on the skin we need to treat. This enables the waves to pass through the skin and tissues easily. Ultrasound increases blood supply to the tissues which promotes natural healing. With Ultrasound, the heating affect on the tissues is far better than thermotherapy which can only work on a superficial level. This being applied to muscles can help with pain reduction and can help break the pain cycle caused with muscle spasm, as ultrasound naturally produces a micro massage effect.
• Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy. This modality has multiple frequency settings, which encourage correct healing of wounds, strains and fractures. It will also assist in the healing of physical and emotional pain.

Qualifications

Diploma in Animal Physiotherapy, The College of Animal Physiotherapy
Preliminary Certificate in Horse Management National Certificate in Management of Horses at Plumpton Agricultural College
B.H.S. Stages 1 & 2
Canine First Responder Certificate
Recognising Medical Abnormalities Certificate
Introduction to Professional Dog Care Certificate

How it all works

Light, magnetic field and electricity are forms of electromagnetic energy that can be absorbed by cells and used as energy for cellular function. Photons are units of light and photons act as a particle and as a wavelength depending on colours. The red end of the spectrum has longer wavelengths than the blue end of the spectrum. When the photons bounce off tissue the energy is absorbed into tissues.

Fresh blood bought to a damaged area from any of the modalities we use, brings nutrients and oxygen essential for repair and normal function.

Pulsing magnetic fields affect the function of the cell and help restore the normal balance in a damaged cell. Another important benefit of this therapy is it provides an increase in blood flow. It is important to distinguish between the electromagnetic fields we use for therapeutic purposes, and other man-made electromagnetic fields, from power lines, microwave ovens and mobile phones. The PEMF device we use here at Creedons Dog Care, produce safe natural electromagnetic fields which are lower frequency and complementary to the chemistry and functions of the body.

BENEFITS OF ULTRASOUND THERAPY

• Increases new oxygenated blood flow to the area treated encouraging healing.
• Produces a pain killing effect that can reduce muscle spasm, and promote normal function.
• Softens fibrous tissues and scar tissue which are formed during healing.
• Creates a micro massage effect.

WHAT IS ULTRASOUND THERAPY USED FOR?

• Soft tissue, tendon and ligament injuries.
• Sore tight and painful muscles.
• Contracted tendons.
• Scar tissue.
• Improves joint mobility and reduces pain in surrounding muscles.

BENEFITS OF PULSED ELECTOMAGNECTIC FIELD THERAPY

• Increasing elasticity of muscles before stretching and breaking down adhesions.
• Increases blood flow and clears fluid and toxins from the muscles.
• Improves the supply of blood and nutrients to affected areas.
• Reduces chance of further muscle atrophy ( wastage).
• Relieves symptoms involving the skeleton and joints of the body.

WHAT IS P.E.M.F USED FOR

• Dogs with nerve damage where the nerves will not regenerate, quality of life can be improved by maintaining muscle form. This can slow down the deterioration of the dog and prolong his/her life.
• Reduces acute and chronic inflammation.
• Relieves many forms of stress.
• Healing of fractures. Osteoblasts (bone laying cells) are attracted to areas and begin to build up extra bone material to counter the stress.
• Used for dogs with soft tissue injuries.
• Used for pain reduction.

BENEFITS OF ULTRABRIGHT VISABLE RED AND INFRARED PHOTOTHERAPY

• Improves circulation.
• Reduces inflammation and pain.
• Accelerates the body’s own natural healing process

WHAT IS PHOTOTHERAPY USED FOR?

• Soft tissue injuries; Improves quality of collagen in cartilage and tendons and also aids in the tightening of ligaments.
• Wound healing.
• Creates a happy relaxed dog, as phototherapy helps release endorphins.
• Prevent sutures breaking down or sutures that have broken down. Phototherapy can assist in the repair of the wound, helping control infection and optimise healing.
• Increases elasticity of muscles before stretching.
• Arthritis
• Muscoskeletal conditions and pain management.
• Post op pain.

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE AND PASSIVE RANGE OF MOTION

• Aids in drainage of toxins into the lymphatic system, increasing healing time.
• Reduces the formation of adhesions in the tissues and joints. It is more beneficial to reduce their formation than break them down after they have formed.
• Nourishes and lubricates the joints.
• Improves range of movement.

WHAT IS MASSAGE AND P.R.O.M USED FOR?

• Dogs with Degenerative Joint Disease
• Dogs with tight sore muscles.
• Performance/sporting dogs.

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