SATISFACTION for Jane Hyde is seeing patients — both humans and horses — enjoying a new lease of life after her treatment.
A chartered physiotherapist, she works from the Eqwest Equine Veterinary Clinic at Lamerton in conjunction with her equestrian vet husband Jeremy, and other veterinary practices.
After becoming qualified in human physiotherapy she then did a two year post graduate course in animal veterinary physiotherapy.
She was born and raised on her parents' farm in Bere Alston and has always loved animals. A former pupil of Tavistock College, she worked as a veterinary nurse in the town for seven years.
'I loved it but I wanted to do more. My grandmother had a little dog and it was going to be put down because it had a back injury. Then I heard of a chartered physiotherapist who treated humans but also helped animals.
'She treated the dog and he made a good recovery. I was so impressed that I wanted to be like her,' says Jane.
In order to do that she went to night school. There she got the qualifications to study at Bristol to become a human physiotherapist. This was a way forward to becoming a chartered physiotherapist in animal therapy.
'On the way I discovered I really enjoyed helping humans. I have a fascination with back problems. I feel like a pain detective looking for where people have problems.'
After becoming qualified as a human chartered physiotherapist she then worked part time for the National Health Service while training to work with animals. She did a two-year post graduate course in animal veterinary physiotherapy.
'As the animal side grew I had less time to work for the National Health Service. I also had two children, Katy and Oliver.'
The next step was going self-employed and building up her own private clinic.
'For the animal cases I see mainly horses and dogs with back and musculo-skeletal problems.
'Initially I find out the client's history as to why they brought the animal. Then I start from the head, feeling each muscle and the muscular attachment and origin looking for an area of pain or muscular shortening weakness,' says Jane.
'It is fascinating. I love it. A horse will often come here in pain and distress — at the end of the treatment its eyes will be closed in deep relaxation. Ninety-nine per cent of the animals enjoy the treatment.'
She says she always works from vets' referrals — telling people to initially go back to their vet so that they are working for the animal as a team.
Treatment can be anything from one to four sessions and Jane sends the owners away with treatment exercises to help keep improving the animal's condition.
'I expect my cases to respond just about immediately if it's a muscular skeletal problem.'
Jane says if an animal does not respond it is referred back to its veterinary surgery for further investigation.
'With the animals I have to feel the problem and treat what I feel. I don't have to ask my human patients "does that hurt?" I can often tell them where it hurts. I have far more palpation skills and can tune into the problem in a tactile way.'
Jane believes her treatment skills for humans are better because of her work with animals.
To help people alleviate or prevent their back and neck problems, Jane takes a weekly class where she introduces her clients to exercises that will improve their condition. She also does informative talks in conjunction with Eqwest Equine Veterinary Clinic to teach animal owners what they can do for their animals and what treatment is available.
With animals she says the alternative to physiotherapy treatment is being on medication for the rest of their life, surgery or being put to sleep.
'With humans if you have a niggling bad back you don't want to be put down or have pain killers for the rest of your life!'
Jane says she works as an adjunct to the veterinary profession — not instead of it.
'Initially owners need to contact their vet because the animal might have a fracture or a tumour and if you started moving that around you might make it worse,' she says.
Conversely, humans don't have to see their doctor first.
Often she says an injury is just something that happens — like getting a bad back without knowingly injuring it.
'The best bit about this job is seeing people get better. Seeing someone hobble in and then walk out — or taking a horse that comes to me in discomfort and then the owner ringing up and saying it is much better after the treatment.'
l Jane Hyde will be lecturing about the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy at the South West Christmas Equine Fair at Westpoint, Exeter on Saturday and Sunday.