98 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
In physical therapy, a sports medicine spe
cialist is a physical therapist who is qualified
through completion of an internship, extern
ship, research and publication, and specialty
examination in Sports Physical Therapy through
the American Board of Physical Therapy
Specialties (ABPTS) and is provided the desig
nation of Board‐Certified Sports Clinical
Specialist (SCS).
The practice of veterinary medicine, as defined
by the American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA) Model Practice Act, originally in 2012,
is “to diagnose, prognose, treat, correct, change,
alleviate, or prevent animal disease, illness,
pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physi
cal, dental, or mental conditions by any method
or mode, including the:
● Performance of any medical or surgical
procedure, or
● Prescription, dispensing, administration, or
application of any drug, medicine, biologic,
apparatus, anesthetic, or other therapeutic
or diagnostic substance, or
● Use of complementary, alternative, and
integrative therapies, or
● Use of any procedure for reproductive
management, including but not limited to
the diagnosis or treatment of pregnancy,
fertility, sterility, or infertility, or
● Determination of the health, fitness, or
soundness of an animal, or
● Rendering of advice or recommendation by
any means including telephonic and other
electronic communications with regard to
any of the above.
● To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly
and privately, an ability and willingness to
do an act described.
● Use of any title, words, abbreviation, or
letters in a manner or under circumstances
that induce the belief that the person using
them is qualified to do any act described”
(American Veterinary Medical Association,
2017).
Canine rehabilitation is the application of the
science of rehabilitation medicine as it is
adapted to canine patients. Canine sports
medicine is a subspecialty of both veterinary
medicine and canine rehabilitation, with an
emphasis on the primary care management of
the canine athlete by a veterinarian, as well as
the management of nutrition, conditioning,
rehabilitation, and injury prevention by the
interdisciplinary and interprofessional canine
rehabilitation team. This team may consist
of doctors of veterinary medicine, physical
therapists, and veterinary technicians. These
veterinarians might be board certified by the
American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine
and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) as well as other
specialty colleges.
There are adjunctive specialists, including
integrative veterinary medical professionals,
who use acupuncture, chiropractic, and mas
sage in the treatment of the canine rehabili
tation patient. In 2001, the AVMA House of
Delegates defined “complementary and alter
native veterinary medicine (CAVM)” as treat
ments including “aromatherapy, Bach flower
remedy therapy, energy therapy, low energy
photon therapy, magnetic field therapy, ortho
molecular therapy, veterinary acupuncture,
acutherapy, acupressure, veterinary homeopa
thy, veterinary manual or manipulative therapy
(similar to osteopathy, chiropractic or physical
medicine and therapy), veterinary nutraceutical
therapy, and veterinary phytotherapy.” The
House of Delegates was specific in its declara
tion that CAVM be “held to the same standards
as traditional veterinary medicine, including
validation of safety and efficacy by the scientific
method.”The interdisciplinary rehabilitation team
Acknowledging that a variety of professionals
contribute to the canine rehabilitation team, a
challenge is the coordination of these practi
tioners, each of whom fills an important role in
the management of the canine patient. Optimal
outcomes are achieved when the team is coor
dinated and collaborative, thus exploiting each
team member’s knowledge, skill, experience,
and expertise while leaving ego at the door for
an appropriately balanced and patient‐focused
approach to management, whether the patient
is an athlete, working dog, or pet.
The veterinarian serves as the primary care
practitioner or case manager (managing veteri-
narian or veterinarian of record), providing neces
sary medical management of the canine patient