Why Pain Meds Alone Aren’t Enough for Mobility Issues!

Neither is meant to replace the other! Combined they shorten and improve recovery!

My 30+ yo horse Magic is having a little more issues with his arthritis this winter. Possibly due to getting older, possibly because it’s wetter?! Who knows exactly, however I’ve had to begin giving him an NSAID to help manage his comfort and thought this week we’d dive into how medication plays a role in the rehab plan!

One thing to make clear from the top——neither replaces the other! Medication helps manage pain and support the system BUT it’s not a root cause correction! While medication can reduce pain—PT restores movement! Many times medication isn’t effective alone for mobility issues. I’m reminded of an example I heard one time: giving medication is like putting a fire extinguisher on the fire alarm yet missing the fire!

Yes, animals and us may feel better after the pain meds, yet at the foundation nothing is being addressed! They may begin to move better or stop limping, but there is still compensation happening due to incorrect movement, strength loss, joint issues, etc!

PT + Meds = safest and most effective strategy for recovery!

Pain meds address the symptoms…not the cause

Pain medications are certainly powerful tools! They-

• Reduce inflammation

• calm discomfort

• help make daily life easier

• can help rest and relaxation

That is certainly valuable, especially during flare ups or early injury. BUT pain meds CANNOT:

• strengthen weak muscles

• restore joint stability

• correct compensations

• retrain movement patterns

• improve proprioception ( body awareness)

• rebuild lost muscle

• prevent recurrence of injury

So again, while pain meds can help your pet feel better, they can’t necessarily move better.

When pain goes down, compensations go up

When pain meds kick in, pets often look “back to normal”. But underneath that comfort, the body may still be:

• Shifting weight inappropriately

• guarding on one side

• using muscles inappropriately

• moving in altered or ineffective patterns

• overdoing things

This is why pets can seem fine for weeks after starting a new medication then suddenly there’s a flare up again.

We need to address the underlying imbalance!

How PT supports what meds cannot!

Physical Therapy focuses on the mechanics of the body—how joints, muscles, etc work together! It helps by

• restoring normal movement

• strengthening weak areas

• improving balance and stability

• increasing joint support

• reducing compensations

• improving proprioception

• building long-term mobility

and guess what—-we also have strategies that help with inflammation, pain, and getting your body moving better!

but overall- pain meds can help open the door while PT walks your pet through it!

When your pet needs both

Often your vet will prescribe a pain medication to help break the pain cycle, make movement more comfortable, and help reduce inflammation and improve tolerance for movement and mobility. This is especially common after surgery or after an injury when the body needs a little extra help recovering.

However, they sometimes forget the PT component! Resting and immobility is actually the worse thing you can do for recovery. Yes, sometimes crate rest is absolutely a necessity and imperative for recovery BUT not always and actually it can have the exact opposite results! Immobility leads to more issues with flexibility, tightness, weakness, and difficulty using their body and actually can create a vicious pain cycle!

PT comes into the picture to help address issues at every stage so that we are working with the body! We dive into the why behind the pain and issues and work to rebuild the system to allow the pet to thrive beyond relying on medication! Which helps the body move better too! We don’t want to rely on medication and we certainly don’t want our pets on lifelong meds that can lead to kidney or other secondary issues!

Why this matters long-term

Without PT the root cause (the damaging fire) goes unresolved leading to worsening compensations, increasing weakness, progressive arthritis, and overall faster and worsening mobility decline! Even with medication! Plus, long term use of NSAIDS and other medications can cause issues with kidneys, liver, and GI issues!

By simply adding in PT/rehab you are allowing your pet to rediscover their mobility again (and many times even improve from even where they were before!) Not only are they able to rebuild their strength and correct movement patterns, your animals can begin to stay active longer and reduce risk of flare ups which lead to overall improved quality of life!

Through progressive and individualized programs only available through a collaboration with a trained PT your animal will be able to go on living a thriving functional life, many times reducing the need for pain medication all together!

Your pet deserves more than a temporary relief! They deserve lasting comfort and confident movement. While pain medication is an important tool….physical therapy is what restores function, mobility, and joy!

Contact us to book a consultation or learn more about how physical therapy can make all the difference for your dog’s mobility.

Because your pet deserves comfort, connection, and a body that supports the beautiful life they’re here to live!