Physical therapy improves the flexion and range of muscles that have endured injury, are recovering from surgery or are weakening.
But those muscles don't always only belong to people.
In a northern suburb of Indianapolis, a 10-year-old poodle is now in 12 weeks of intensive physical therapy as a follow-up to intricate knee surgery, WISHTV reports. Callie walks on an underwater treadmill for three minutes and then takes a load off for two minutes.
"It's very emotional for me because she's had such good care," adopted mother Betsy Alt told the news source, noting the surgery and therapy were not inexpensive.
The surgery was in early March, after which Callie was hobbling on her three properly functioning legs. People holding physical therapy jobs use the water therapy, which gently resists as the repaired ligament heals while Callie diligently adheres to her physical therapy program.
Alt, a yoga instructor, started an online campaign to raise money for Callie's medical expenses, which prompted donations from places as far away as India and France. The website she set up, www.giveforward.com, prompted her to create a non-profit that will lend a hand to people who need assistance with their dogs.