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Soft Tissue Injuries

Sprain.jpeg

Muscles

For muscles to perform effectively, they need to be able to contract and lengthen fully. Microtraumas can cause adhesions, restricting movement, furthering on to cause trigger point causing muscle fatigue. Continual stress on a muscle can cause hypertonicity and when the muscle overstretches, strains can occur, damaging the muscle and causing a lot of pain.

I have studied in great depth, the cross bridge theory, the energy crisis hypothesis and trigger point formation, enabling me to understand and locate these issues, I can use my skills as a therapist and improve the muscles functionality.   

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Scar Tissue

Once a muscle has been torn, the body lays down scar tissue to repair. This can inhibit the muscles moving to their full range, but massage can help to remodel this scar tissue and realign the fibres to loosen the muscle, giving more flexibility.

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Trigger Points

A MyoFascial Trigger point is a hyperirritable spot, made up of many Muscle Fibres that have compressed and contracted but not able to relax, they can be described as a knot.

They can cause referred pain and sometimes a local twitch response when pressed on, they can change the Dog’s range of motion, cause muscle weakness, lameness, coat changes and give a postural imbalance.

When touched, a trigger point can cause pain, the Dog may flinch, yelp or cry out. Clinical Canine Massage Therapy can release trigger points, improving your Dogs range of movement and comfort levels.

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Myofascial Pain

Let start with Fascia. Fascia influences everything in the body, wrapping around every Organ, Muscle and Bone. When Fascia becomes restricted, it becomes dysfunctional.

MyoFascial pain is associated with restricted Fascia and multiple trigger points when large areas are affected, commonly in the thorax. It can be extremely uncomfortable if left untreated and takes bodywork to help relieve or resolve it. You may see symptoms such as skin twitching, tight skin, yelping when touched, and or change of coat (hair standing up when it was not previously).

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Sprain

A sprain is damage to a ligament when it becomes overstretched, it can affect the whole joint area.

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There are varying grades of a sprain:

  • Ligament has been stretched, a minor tear

  • Ligament is partially torn, swelling is usually present

  • Ligament tears completely

  • Ligament breaks away and takes a small piece of bone with it

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Symptoms: Swelling, bruising, restricted movement.

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Strain

A Strain is a common muscular injury when the muscle is over stretched.

 

There are varying grades of a strain:

  • Mild tear of the muscle – only a few fibres are affected

  • More extensive strain – more fibres are affected but the muscle is still in tact

  • Complete rupture

 

Symptoms: Swelling, stiffness, discomfort, lameness, off food, yelping in pain

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Once a muscle has been torn, the body lays down scar tissue to repair, this can inhibit the muscles moving to their full range, but massage can help to remodel this scar tissue.

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How Massage can help:

  • Breaking down of scar tissue

  • Assist to repair the damaged fibres and tendons

  • Improve stiffness and soreness

  • Improve movement/gait and posture

  • Improvement to comfort levels

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Hypertonicity/ Hypotonicity

A Hypertonic Muscle is a Muscle that cannot switch off. This leads to a shortened tight/sore muscle that causes discomfort and a reduced range of movement.

Hypotonicity, meaning a lack of muscle tension/tone which can be caused by a variety of things such as: immobility or a disruption in the nerve pathway (neurological condition) This will prevent full range of movement as the Muscle is unable to support the body properly.

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Clinical Canine Massage Therapy can help with either of these muscle tones.

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