Canine Remedial Massage

What is Remedial Massage?

Remedial massage is a holistic, drug free, pain and injury management therapy - meaning the whole body is treated rather than just the injured spot. Often there is referred pain from the primary area of injury to another part of the body.
Remedial massage aims to find and treat tight, sore muscles, remove debilitating “knots” or trigger points that cause pain and reduce tension by encouraging the muscles to relax. Using a variety of techniques, massage involves putting pressure on soft tissues to stretch and loosen tense muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and tendons, encourage blood flow and release endorphins. Common massage techniques include squeezing, kneading or lightly stroking along a muscle, deep circular motions or light tapping.
When there is discomfit in the body, the muscles often tighten up around the site to protect them. Tight muscles can put pressure on nerves, causing numbness, tingling and pain. It can also decrease a joints range of motion. Massage increases the blood flow and the temperature of the muscles, leading to the muscles relaxing and improving tissue elasticity, thereby reducing the tension and increasing range of motion. Once tension is reduced, pain is reduced.
When an injury occurs, massage can assist by breaking down restrictive scar tissues, reducing pain and assisting in the self-healing process. Connective tissues can become stuck to muscle fibers and interfere with normal movement. Massage can use a variety of techniques to stretch and loosen muscles and connective tissues, releasing trigger points and restoring the body's ability to move more easily.
Muscles can atrophy (decrease in muscle mass and strength) after an injury, disease or from disuse. Weak and atrophied muscles can cause significant pain and reduce a dogs ability to move freely or even at all. Massage can increase the blood flow to the tissue which means an increase of red blood cells and nutrients to the area, enhancing muscle growth and delaying any further atrophy.
Finally, massage for active dogs can help to improve muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and tendons through encouraging a “clean out” of waste products (lactic acid, stale blood etc) and deliver fresh, oxygenated blood into the soft tissues. Massage increases flexibility and elasticity which can reduce the likelihood of injury, improve performance, increase endurance and aid in a faster recovery.

What to expect in your appointments

Prior to the first appointment

Dogs that have been injured or have a degenerative disease will require a Vet referral that needs to reach us at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. When booking your first appointment, please contact us so that we can arrange a referral. A referral does not require you to book an appointment – it is a form that is emailed to your vet clinic.

Assessments

At the first appointment, we will conduct an assessment prior to treatment. We also recommend regular assessments to be conducted on a regular basis to measure improvement and function. Assessments are split into three sections:

Subjective assessment – this is an interview where we discuss why the dog has been brought to us, what we are hoping to achieve through rehabilitation and what their daily lives look like.
Physical assessment – this is where we view the dog and assess their conformation and posture, we assess their body for areas of tension, any joint thickening and any muscle atrophy
Functional assessment – this is where we put the dog through activities to assess treatments that can assist. This includes looking at them walking and trotting, sitting, lying down, stairs etc.

The massage Appointment

In massage, we try to have the dog on the cushioned floor in a sit or lie down position. We then start by warming the muscles up through long strokes and then moving into a variety of techniques to target sore points and “knots”, release tension and reduce pain.
The aim of the treatment is to break up muscle tension, adhesions and scar tissue which can lead to a degree of discomfort during the massage – however it should never be taken to the point of pain. If the dog is experiencing distress, we can take breaks and allow the dog to move around and reset.

Post Appointment

After the appointment, we will offer some exercises that can be completed at home. We also send through a “report card” to yourself and your preferred vet clinic.
In the days following the massage session, the dog can be expected to experience some stiffness or soreness. If the pain doesn’t naturally fade away, then please contact us to talk it through.

Benefits of regular massage

Committing to regular massages is a great tool for pain management. We can focus on specific problem areas as well as tight muscles, gradually loosening them with increasing the blood circulation. These actions help to reduce pain tied to injuries, arthritis and degenerative diseases. After regular sessions, the dog may see benefits such as a reduction in the need for pain medications.
After a strain or injury to muscles and connective tissues, undergoing regular massage helps to teach a dogs body to repair themselves. This ultimately lengthens the soft tissues, allowing a greater range of motion and easier movements.

Why Massage might not be right for your dog

There are times when massage in parts of a dogs body is not recommended, however a massage session can still proceed, we would just avoid these areas. Reasons we wouldn't massage an area include:

Soft tissue inflammation or injury - like massaging over a bruise, we wouldnt massage on top off inflammation or injuries within the first 48 hours after an injury or surgery as this can be painful.
Open wounds - we would avoid massaging over an open wound
Bone or joint injuries / fractures - as massage is putting pressure on tissue, we will avoid massaging on any diagnosed, untreated injuries or fractures.
Fleas or Bacterial and Fungal Infections - to contain the spread of transferrable conditions, any condition where the skin is inflamed, red, hot, itchy or irritated we will not massage. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Dog is unwell - if your dog has an elevated temperature or is unwell (shock, flat or depressed, has diarrhoea etc) we will not massage. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Extreme distress or anxiety - We will not force a dog to have a massage and will end an appointment if the dog is showing signs of distress.

What we are trying to achieve

Freer movement
Better posture
Reduced stiffness
Increased range of movement in joints
Improved sporting performance
Relief from pain and stress

Improved appetite
Improved skin and coat
Ability to get in and out of a car or jump onto a couch
Enjoys walks again
Got their zest for life back