Sam Hendrix, 334/844-3698

AU, UAB RESEARCHERS ASK: DOES PHYSICAL THERAPY WORK FOR DOGS?

AUBURN -- Dogs may be man's best friend, but German shepherds prone to a debilitating muscle disease may have found their own best friend in researchers from Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Cara Adams, an associate professor of physical therapy at UAB's School of Health Related Professions, and Janet Steiss, an associate professor in the AU College of Veterinary Medicine's Scott-Ritchey Research Center, are testing whether German shepherds with fibrotic myopathy of the hamstring muscles respond to the deep-heating and mobilization techniques involved in physical therapy.

"There's an emerging interest among veterinarians in using physical therapy modalities such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound to treat animals with neuromuscular and orthopedic disease, but there hasn't been much research on its success," Steiss said. "We hope to generate results through our studies to provide some guidelines for veterinarians."

German shepherds, particularly those involved in competition or athletics, may be at risk of developing fibrotic myopathy, which results in the muscles becoming fibrosed or scarred. Steiss says the cause of the prevalence of and breed susceptibility to this ailment remain unknown.

"We are searching the national veterinary database on this disease in German shepherds, but we suspect itŐs sometimes diagnosed as hip dysplasia or other forms of lameness," she said. "There may be milder forms of the disease that go unrecognized."

The victims of this disease are eliminated from competition. As they walk, the afflicted hind legs slap back unnaturally as if pulled by a rubber band.

"By the time these dogs are referred to Dr. Stephen Simpson and Dr. Lisa Klopp at Auburn's Small Animal Clinic, the neurologists have not typically detected evidence of pain," Steiss said.

In the past, dogs diagnosed with this ailment have been treated with surgery, with fibrous muscle tissue being cut. Although a dog's walk improves temporarily, it reverts to its injured state within a few months.

Steiss is working on questions involving the prevalance of the disease, what kinds of dogs are at risk, whether there is a neurologic component to the disease, how physical therapy might help and what kinds of PT should be performed.

In a preliminary case, an ailing German shepherd underwent three sessions of tri-weekly treatment for two weeks, with a month off between rounds. The dog, which had not had surgery for the ailment, received thermal ultrasound to elevate the muscle temperature, followed by leg stretching and muscle mobilization.

"The owners said he used his legs better following the therapy," Adams said.

Dr. Paul Rumph of the AU Veterinary College's Department of Anatomy and Histology was able to provide a more objective assessment with kinematics. Reflective markers were placed on the dog's leg joints for videotaping and analysis of joint angles as he walked.

Adams and Steiss began thinking of ways to collaborate a few years ago when Steiss, who specializes in electrodiagnostics, contacted faculty in UAB's Division of Physical Therapy about combining her work on neuromuscular diseases in animals with some aspects of rehabilitation of neuromuscular diseases in humans.

Steiss' experience in electrodiagnostics and electrotherapeutics interested UAB's Division of Physical Therapy, and she was invited to teach neuroanatomy there last year.

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CONTACT: Steiss, 334/844-5951; or Adams, 205/934-5903.