Neurorehabilitation

Neurorehabilitation is a targeted and time-specific collaborative process between an animal with neurological dysfunction due to illness or trauma, its owner, and relevant professionals.
The purpose is to help the animal regain the highest possible level of functionality and quality of life.

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Neurorehabilitation:

Movement patterns are stored in the brain, and the longer they have been present, the harder they are to change—especially if compensations developed during childhood. In such cases, the brain has not yet had the opportunity to develop plasticity around correct function, increasing the risk of dysfunction.

All voluntary muscle activity begins when the brain sends nerve impulses to the muscles. At the same time, sensory feedback from receptors in the muscles and joints is sent back to the brain through afferent nerve pathways. This allows the brain to monitor what is actually happening and adjust muscle activity in real time, based on intention and physical capacity.

Communication between the brain and body occurs through the activation of neurons (nerve cells), which transmit impulses via specific neural pathways—known as neurogenic pathways.

When the same neurons and pathways are activated repeatedly, plasticity develops in that function. This means that habits and movements become “learned” and stored in the nervous system. For example, if someone has always eaten with their left hand and is suddenly asked to use the right, it will feel awkward and unfamiliar. That’s because the brain has developed plasticity around the use of the left hand.

If the goal is to change that pattern and build a new one using the right hand instead, it will require many repetitions over time to reinforce the new motor pathway in the brain.

This is why, even after surgical or medical treatment of a painful area, the compensatory movement patterns stored in the brain may remain unchanged. As a result, the injury may recur—or new strain may appear elsewhere in the body.

For treatment to have a lasting and successful outcome, it is essential to restore optimal and correct neuromuscular function that the brain can build plasticity around. This provides the best foundation for a functional and sustainable future.

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