Olive is a 10 year-old Labrador who was diagnosed with elbow arthritis at just 6 years-old. Olive has slowed down over the last few years and despite monthly pain medication injections, her owner felt that more could be done.
Assessment found Olive to have reduced range of motion in her elbow joints and associated muscle tightness through her forearms and her back. Through massage, stretches, joint mobilisations and home exercises, Olive has made steady but positive progress. Not only have her physical signs of discomfort improved but her owner has also noticed more of a bounce in her step! What made the biggest difference was the introduction of ultrasound therapy. This therapy aims to reduce inflammation and tension within the soft tissues of the joint, helping to alleviate the discomfort and promoting better joint range of motion. Olive’s owner uses an at-home ultrasound therapy unit daily for just 10 minutes to achieve this!
Arthritis is a degenerative condition, so while we can’t stop its progression we can at least mitigate and manage the discomfort it causes meaning our dogs can continue to live comfortable lives. It is always a joy to see Olive now running across her garden. Olive’s owner says…
“Olive has always been a happy lab who wiggles her whole body in excitement to see you. When I noticed her body was slowing down, I knew I needed to find something to help it keep up with her own puppy-minded self.
We trialled a range of pain medication from the vets since her arthritis diagnosis and she began getting monthly physio from Lauren. I instantly liked Lauren’s professionalism and how she is able to explain what was going on in Olive’s joints and answer all my questions.
Olive loves people but can take a while to settle in to her treatment. With each session, this has been getting much easier for her as she knows Lauren will alleviate her soreness. Ultrasound has proven to be massively beneficial for Olive’s elbow stiffness. After her sessions and a couple of days rest, Olive truly bounces back and is more able to do her favourite things, like playing with her toys, her doggy sibling, and she has even started small ‘zoomies’ again! We now only need maintenance sessions with Lauren to keep Olive happy and healthy as an older dog.”
