Sebastien visited us at the end of March 2019 for weakness in his hind limbs, polyarthritis, and concerns for degenerative myelopathy (DM). After an in-depth physical exam, review of his medical history, and lots of Q&A, Dr. Cantrell recommended a full rehabilitation package. Our goals for the next 10 sessions (twice weekly, for 5 weeks) would be to develop joint position awareness in his hind limbs, increase muscle mass throughout his body, provide pain relief, and improve overall quality of life.
During his first couple sessions of rehabilitation, Sebastian was only able to complete a few land exercises before he became tired. His time in the underwater treadmill was similar, a few minutes of work, and then he would need a break to sit or lie down. During these sessions, Ashlee noticed that when he would become fatigued, he would start “knuckling”. After discussing this with the owner, Ashlee suggested purchasing “No Knuckling Training Socks.”
After a few visits, his test results for DM came back negative (YAY!), so we continued to work on his joint position awareness in his back legs by having him walk on different surfaces such as our tactile discs and foam pads. At this point, his new “socks” arrived, and Ashlee was able to try them on him! They were a game-changer and he did very well with them on. They worked wonders!
Sebastien really struggled, in the beginning, to hold himself up for land exercises, such as the rocker board and cavaletti rails. He would need to be supported for anything that would shift his weight or make him unbalanced. Session by session, week by week, he began to grow stronger. So strong, that he eventually did not need assistance doing any therapeutic land exercises!
After 10 sessions of dedication and hard work, he graduated! Sebastien enjoys coming in now for maintenance sessions that involve modalities such as his therapeutic laser, land exercises, and the underwater treadmill. However, he enjoys his praise and treats the most here!
Sebastien is truly a rehab rockstar, and we are so happy to see how much he has progressed during his time with us!
