Amanda Stears
Edinburgh Veterinary Physiotherapy
Welcome
Welcome to our website where you can learn more about Veterinary Physiotherapy and the assessment and treatment of your horses and other small companions. As well as treatment for owners ! We look forward to hearing from you.
Covering Edinburgh, the Borders and the Central belt.
Discounts available for booking of two or more.
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" Winston Churchill
"A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things wont be too bad" Robert Wagner
Consent
Previously it was a legal requirement for your vet to give consent prior to assessment and treatment. A recent change in the Veterinary surgeons act now allows maintenance or general health checks to be undertaken without prior veterinary consent. There still may be occasions where we will contact your Veterinary Practice for further information prior to your appointment.
Pre Visit Questionnaire
Prior to an in initial visit We will ask you to complete a pre visit health assessment for your animal. This is to ensure we have the animals medical history etc, and can take this into account in treatment planning and delivery.
What can i expect ?
An appointment will take approximately an hour and will consist of a comprehensive assessment and treatment followed by further advice on management /rehabilitation.
Please note we may refer you back to your veterinary surgeon if you are an animal patient.
Registration and Insurance
- Registered with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) since 2002.
- Registered with the Health care Professions Council.
- Category A member of ACPAT.
- Member of RAMP (Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners)
- Fully insured by the CSP and ACPAT details can be provided on request.
Why choose an ACPAT Physiotherapist.
Only ACPAT Veterinary Physiotherapists are fully trained human and Chartered Physiotherapists, a title which is legally protected.
Animal or Equine physiotherapists have a wide variety of training and no regulation, although this is changing through RAMP registration, and as such you are advised to check the credentials of any therapist treating your animals.
An ACPAT category A Physiotherapist is a Chartered Human Physiotherapist who has worked clinically before studying Veterinary Physiotherapy at Masters level for a further 2 or 3 years, Having either a Post Graduate Diploma or a Masters Degree.
Meet the Physiotherapist
Following an early career in agriculture and finance Amanda trained to be a Chartered Physiotherapist graduating in 2002 from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. She worked for the NHS for the first 10 years of her career specializing in neurological conditions and respiratory physiotherapy focusing particularly on rehabilitation, she has also undertaken training in Bowen Therapy.
She has worked as a Physiotherapy Lecturer at Queen Margaret University since 2012 obtaining her Masters in Professional and Higher Education in 2015 with Merit. Following this she decided to set out to achieve a life long ambition of working with animals and she applied and was accepted by The University of Liverpool in 2017 to undertake their PgDip/MSc in Veterinary Physiotherapy.
She has completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy at Leahurst and traveled to Helsinki and Yorkshire to gain a different view of horse management and equine and canine physiotherapy.
She has been owned by a 22 year old Haflinger called Goldie whom she has been with for the last 17 years, they currently enjoy life as happy hackers having previously ridden on a variety of disciplines. In 2021 the Family were joined by a black Labrador called Tully, sometimes he will be out and about with Amanda. He is the current head of PR.
Physiotherapy for horses and riders
Physiotherapy as a profession seeks to restore mobility and movement where there is weakness or injury and where there is perhaps just a subtle or more definite drop in performance for our more elite companions. All horses can benefit from Physiotherapy assessment and treatment whether they be family ponies, three day eventers, riding club or polo ponies. Treatment is tailored to your horse following a detailed physiotherapy assessment and discussion.
The Rider
Perhaps one of the most important areas sometimes overlooked is the interaction between the horse and rider as well as saddle and tack fit, A crooked rider will affect the horse and how he moves. Postural alignment and muscular function can be influenced by physiotherapy and is also offered. Amanda offers assessements to both the horse and rider, both on and off the horse.
Physiotherapy for dogs and companion animals
As with our equine companions our canine companions can equally benefit from assessment and rehabilitation. Dogs are not just pets but have a wide and varied remit ranging from service and working dogs, to those competing in obedience and agility, to sports such as canicross , bikejor and sled racing which requires them to be in peak fitness. Physiotherapy can help in pre and post season preparation.
As healthcare improves our companions live longer but often we can miss signs of discomfort thinking them signs of "old age". Physiotherapy can help your animal live well with treatments to help with osteoarthritis or rehabilitation following surgery for trauma or orthopaedic conditions such as cranial cruciate ligament repair.
