Perceptions of animal physiotherapy amongst Irish veterinary surgeons.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate veterinary surgeons' perceptions, knowledge and use of animal physiotherapy in the Republic of Ireland. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 200 veterinary surgeons, of which 97 were returned. Results indicated that 77 (79%) of respondents were aware of animal physiotherapists. Common sources of information included veterinary colleagues, owners and professional journals, with physiotherapists themselves and undergraduate training being less commonly cited. Awareness of animal physiotherapy was greatest amongst those working in equine practice (χ2 = 5.7, df 1, p = 0.017); they were more knowledgeable about its techniques (t = 2.806, df 75, p = 0.006) and more likely to refer (χ2 = 48.36, df 1, p = 0.0001). Seventy-four respondents (96%) thought that more research was necessary to increase the evidence base for animal physiotherapy. If this branch of physiotherapy is to develop, there needs to be increased interaction and co-operation between veterinary surgeons and chartered animal physiotherapists.
Publication Date: 2006-02-01 PubMed ID: 21851679PubMed Central: PMC3113896DOI: 10.1186/2046-0481-59-2-85Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research study explores the understanding, awareness, and acceptance of animal physiotherapy by veterinary surgeons in Ireland. The survey results reflect a need for more collaboration between veterinary professionals and animal physiotherapists, and indicate a general consensus that more research is needed in the field.
Understanding and Awareness of Animal Physiotherapy
- The study was conducted via a questionnaire sent to 200 veterinary surgeons in Ireland, with 97 of them returning it.
- The results showed that 77 out of 97 respondents (79%) were aware of the role of animal physiotherapists. The primary sources of information were veterinary colleges, owners, and professional veterinary journals.
- However, it was found that knowledge from physiotherapists themselves and undergraduate training was not common, implying a gap in communication and education about this field between the two professional groups.
The Role of Practice Type in Awareness and Usage of Animal Physiotherapy
- The perceptions and usage of animal physiotherapy were heavily influenced by the type of veterinary practice.
- Veterinary surgeons working in equine practices had a greater awareness of animal physiotherapy, exhibited more knowledge of its techniques, and were more likely to refer patients for physiotherapy treatment. The data suggested that these differences were statistically significant.
The Need for More Research and Collaboration in Animal Physiotherapy
- A vast majority (96%) of respondents believed that more research is necessary to increase the evidence base for animal physiotherapy. This implies that veterinary surgeons would be more likely to refer patients for physiotherapy treatment if they had access to solid evidence of its benefits.
- The study concludes that increased interaction and cooperation between veterinary surgeons and chartered animal physiotherapists are vital for this subfield of physiotherapy to develop. Such collaboration could lead to more research, more informed veterinary surgeons, and ultimately better patient care.
Cite This Article
APA
Doyle A, Horgan NF.
(2006).
Perceptions of animal physiotherapy amongst Irish veterinary surgeons.
Ir Vet J, 59(2), 85-89.
https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-59-2-85 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. fhorgan@rcsi.ie.
References
This article includes 22 references
- Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) Standards document. 1999.
- Antikatzides T. Soft laser treatment of musculoskeletal and other disorders in the equine athlete.. Equine Practice 1986;8:24–30.
- Bromiley M. Physiotherapy in Veterinary Practice. London: Blackwell Scientific; 1991.
- Bromiley M. Equine Injury, Therapy and Rehabilitation. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific; 1993.
- Bromiley M. Physiotherapy for equine injuries.. Equine Veterinary Education 1994;6:241–244.
- Cramp F. The current use of ultrasound among category A equine physiotherapists in the United Kingdom.. Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy 1998;7:26–27.
- Herrod-Taylor EE. A technique for manipulation of the spine in horses.. Vet Rec 1967 Oct 21;81(17):437-9.
- Hodges CC, Palmer RH. Post-operative physical therapy. Surgical Complications and Wound Healing in Small Animal Practice Vol. 17. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1993. pp. 389–405.
- Knowles D, Mackintosh S. A survey of animal physiotherapy practice in Britain.. Physiotherapy 1994;80:285–289.
- Lang DC. Ultrasonic treatment of musculoskeletal conditions in the horse, dog and cat.. Vet Rec 1980 May 24;106(21):427-31.
- McNamara K, Mackintosh S. Veterinary surgeons' perceptions of animal physiotherapy.. Physiotherapy 1993;79:312–316.
- Millis DL, Levine D. The role of exercise and physical modalities in the treatment of osteoarthritis.. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 1997 Jul;27(4):913-30.
- Morcos M, Aswad A. Treatment of two clinical conditions in racehorses by ultrasonic therapy.. Equine Veterinary Journal 1978;10:128–129.
- Marr CM, Love S, Boyd JS, McKellar Q. Factors affecting the clinical outcome of injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon in National Hunt and point-to-point racehorses.. Vet Rec 1993 May 8;132(19):476-9.
- O'Connor M. Physiotherapy in equine practice.. Equine Sports Medicine News 1988;7:101–102.
- Porter M. What is physical therapy for horses?. Equine Sports Medicine News 1988;7:24–28.
- Ryan T. Animal physiotherapy - a brief overview.. Physiotherapy Ireland 2001;22:9–11.
- Ryan T, Finn A. Observations on a survey of veterinary students' perceptions of animal physiotherapy.. Irish Veterinary Journal 2000;53:143–145.
- Sharifi D, Sharma S. Effect of physiotherapy after tibial transfixation in cattle.. Indian Veterinary Journal 1990;67:952–954.
- Shipley G. A survey into veterinary surgeons' awareness, knowledge and use of animal physiotherapy.. Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy 1999;2:47–48.
- Taylor GA. Treating elephants with short-wave diathermy.. Physiotherapy 1970 Feb;56(2):62-4.
- White AJ, White VJ. Physiotherapy as an aid to treatment of bilateral femoral paralysis in a calf.. Vet Rec 1995 Nov 4;137(19):489-91.
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Dybczyńska M, Goleman M, Garbiec A, Karpiński M. Selected Techniques for Physiotherapy in Dogs.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jul 8;12(14).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
