I would like to introduce you to Indy. He is a 14 year old Shetland Sheepdog who, in his heyday, was arguably the most successful obedience dog in Guernsey.
He is an incredibly well presented and well-mannered boy – a true gentleman of a dog. His owner, Tracey, is an experienced sheltie owner with a keen interest in dog health and wellness and so asked if I would see Indy as a case study.
Reason for Massage
Tracey had seen a vet and acupuncturist due to a report of intermittent lameness in his front right leg (particularly when he was walking downhill). He was also sensitive to touch and grooming in his right shoulder which is thought to be the start of osteoarthritis in the joint.
Upon speaking to Tracey further, she had noticed that; Indy’s back was twitching when she was giving him affection, that he had also begun to slow down meaning that he needed some shorter walks from her other dogs, and that he seemed more reserved in the house by not wanting to play or run around as much generally.
Although Tracey agreed that his shoulder may not be ‘fixed’ by massage treatment, she felt like regular treatments may help to make him more comfortable and mobile so that he could enjoy his time in the garden and run around on walks a little more.
What I Found
I was able to watch Indy’s gait outside which he presented with some hackneying, and I was able to observe the slight lameness going downhill that Tracey mentioned. He also seemed to have reduced range of movement on the right foreleg and carried his right hind leg adducted when trotting. In terms of Indy’s posture, there were some coat changes bilaterally to his latissimus dorsi.
After palpation (a hands-on assessment of the muscles) and assessing his range of movement I found:
- Reduced passive range of movement of his both of his forelimbs, but more so in his right.
- Exaggerated cutaneous trunci response to Rhomboids, Teres Major and Latissimus Dorsi, and wide radiating myofascial pain across bilateral thoracic fascia with discomfort. This myofascial pain is the twitching that Tracey was seeing, and can seem like arthritis as it causes pain, stiffness and can impact mobility.
- Hypertonicity and adhered tissues in the neck bilaterally through the Cleidocervicalis and Splenius with associated myofascial pain. Hypertonicity describes a muscle with too much tone when at rest. The muscle becomes hard and inflexible which prevents normal movement as it struggles to lengthen and contract.
- Muscular strains, or tears, in the middle of the back along the Longissimus Dorsi (spinal muscle) with associated trigger points. Trigger points are nodules of tender and painful tissue (similar to a “knot”).
These issues may have been caused by a number of things such as; the osteoarthritis in Indy’s shoulder due to overcompensation and muscle splinting in order to protect the area, his time as an obedience dog whereby looking up at the owner is desired and could have caused some of the hypertonicity in his neck, or an accumulation over long periods of time.
How Did Clinical Massage Help Indy?
Using a combination of Swedish, Deep Tissue and Sports Massage, along with The Lenton Method, there have been vast improvements in Indy, which are outlined below:
- He is moving with a much better gait. Whilst his lameness down hills is still present, it has vastly improved and is hardly noticeable now. He is also trotting and cantering much more than he was in the past.
- He is much more active; wanting to play with the younger dogs, run around the garden, and is able to cope with some longer walks.
- He is so much happier in himself.
- He is more comfortable with being groomed.
- His shoulders and neck have maintained their free movement due to regular treatments.
- His coat changes have resolved, indicating a reduction myofascial pain.
Tracey's Comments
Indy’s movement is looking more fluent, both on the flat and on a slight slope. He is much less sore when groomed and isn’t twitching along his back. He is definitely much happier in himself – even running around the flower beds on his own, which he hasn’t done for a long time!
He has been running around with Darcey [Tracey’s younger Sheltie] on the lawn! Darcey had a toy and Indy was chasing him! He is always very lively after his massages – so it definitely is helping him.
He is so much happier and moves really well afterwards. It is definitely helping to keep him active.
I am really pleased with the results of the massages and will continue getting Indy treated.