Journal Article: Use of Manual Assessment & Clinical Reasoning Skills before Manual Therapy for Canines

Here is the full article:  CLICK HERE

Just published is an article with:
Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt., CCRT, CAFCI
Amy Lee Kramer, DPT, CCRT, and
Ria Acciani, MPT, CCRP

Select Manual Assessment Techniques and Clinical Reasoning Skills Used in Canine Physical Rehabilitation Before Engaging in Manual Therapy Treatment.

Here are the key points of our article:

• Clinical reasoning skills are fundamental in canine physical rehabilitation as a method of making sense of all data collected during an examination and formulating a functional diagnosis.
• Observation skills allow analysis of posture and movement patterns that further guide the direction of the physical examination.
• Manual assessment skills consider selective tissue tension techniques, end feels, and palpation findings.
• The culmination of clinical reasoning, observations, and manual assessment techniques can serve to direct the treatment plan including what, where, when, and how manual therapy should be performed to help achieve the rehabilitation goals.

Biography 

Ria Acciani, MPT, CCRP
Advanced Canine Rehabilitation Center, Warren, NJ

Ria Acciani graduated with her MPT degree at The University of St. Augustine, FL, and trained directly with Stanley V. Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA. She graduated in 1997 and concentrated on outpatient orthopedics and Early Intervention/Pediatrics. She combined her love for animals, sports and human PT skills to specialize in canine rehabilitation in 2000. Ria received her CCRP from the University of Tennessee in 2001. She currently owns and operates a private practice with her husband, David Acciani, PT, CCRP for the past 20 years. Advanced Canine Rehabilitation (ACR), is an orthopedic practice that focuses on rehabilitation of performance and sporting dogs. 

Ria and David travel extensively to many regional, national, and international dog competitions, and work with top-level competitors.  Ria has traveled overseas with the IFCS US Agility Team, AKC World Team, and WAO World Team 2010-2017.

They have established the rehabilitation protocol for various shoulder, hip and elbow conditions.Their published work has been in both JAVMA, Veterinary Surgery  and Clean Run. They have presented at the International Rehabilitation Symposium in 2008 and 2010. Topics included modalities, shoulder & elbow rehabilitation. They also instructed at the Symposium on Therapeutic Advances in Animal Rehabilitation (STAAR) continuing education workshops for the last 10 years. Ria presented at the September 2014 Animal Rehabilitation SIG for the APTA in Springfield, MA. In 2017 she presented in San Antonio at the APTA CSM for the ARSIG. She has also presented at the SCIVAC in Rimini, Italy in 2018 for Animal Rehabilitation Section and in CA for Atlas Rehabilitation for Canines.

Ria and David continue to practice in Warren, NJ. When not working with their clients, Ria and David spend time with their 3 children and running them to practices and games. They also love to be active with their 3 border collies who walk, hike, run, and swim.