Massage Therapy helps rehabilitate soft tissue injury, often seen as limping or intermittent lameness. It provides natural pain relief dog by relieving tight, sore muscles, resolving painful trigger points (knots) and myofascial pain and dysfunction, thus enabling good musculoskeletal function. It also supports orthopaedic conditions such as dysplasia by keeping the muscles associated with the joint flexible, relieving areas of overcompensation and reducing muscle splinting. It also supports neurological conditions, stimulating the nervous system and helping with proprioception; and is also ideal for elderly, arthritic dogs to help mobility issues, for pain relief, and improve their quality of life and sense of well-being. In clinical trials of the Lenton method of canine massage, recently published in the Vet Record, 95% of dogs responded positively showing reduced pain and increased sense of well-being (https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.586)

I trained for 2 years in the Lenton Method of clinical canine massage and am a member of the Canine Massage Guild. Over the years I have undertaken additional formal training to develop my professional and specialist skills. The techniques I use include:

Common Signs that your Dog may Benefit from Massage Include:

• Lameness/limping
• Stiffness (either in the morning or after exercise)
• Slowing down on walks, reduced energy/enthusiasm for walks
• Difficulty going up/down stairs, or jumping onto the sofa/bed
  
• Reluctance to jump in/out of the car
  
• Performance issues in sporting/agility dogs
  
• Gait or posture irregularities
• Flinching or reluctance to be groomed
• Increased anxiety or intolerance of other dogs
  
• Restlessness at night
• If your dog has orthopaedic (eg arthritis, dysplasia etc) or neurological issues

Results You can see and Your Dog Can Feel

Clinical canine massage is results driven and you may see them as increased flexibility and mobility, improved comfort levels and less restless, ability to jump/run/use stairs and increased desire to exercise and play, improved gait, reduced recovery time after exercise, improved coat and a better mood in general. These improvements may be achieved through massage by:

• removing painful trigger points (muscle knots)
• improved muscle tone, helping muscles to relax
• improved vascular and lymphatic circulation
• breaking down scar tissue and adhesions
• encouraging growth of new muscle fibre
• improving immune system responses
• reducing stress, anxiety and tension
• reducing pain and inflammation
• improving proprioception and stimulation of the nervous system
• enhancing natural healing processes

Please do get in touch for more info and how massage may be able to help your dog.