"You've got to come over and help Cassie. She tilts her head every time she walks, and winces or yelps with pain when she moves too suddenly, or I try to pick her up!" My friend, Rae, was calling about her 14 year old miniture poodle bitch, who has a chronic problem with her neck. In the past, Rae has put Cassie on muscle relaxants, which helped ease the discomfort; the symptoms would cease after about a week or so. Since this was a chronic problem for Cassie, and Rae knew that I was now practicing canine massage, she decided to try an alternative method of easing Cassie's pain.

Before we get into this article regarding massage for your dog, let me state right here that canine massage does NOT replace conventional veterinary care. If this had been a problem of an acute nature, Rae would have taken her bitch to be checked out by a veterinarian to ascertain the cause of symptoms. However, since Rae has been dealing with Cassie's problematic neck for years, she knew what the cause was, and knew that the vet would prescribe medication.

Rae brought Cassie to my office, and I began checking out her tissues. Sure enough, Cassie's neck was rigid and stiff on the right side, and presented with extremely tense muscles. After asking Cassie's permission to massage her, I began working my way from her ears, around back to the occipital area, and down the neck into the shoulder, wither and chest areas. I worked approximately 30 minutes, beginning with lighter motions and eventually working into some deeper massage of the affected tissues. By the end of that session, Cassie was very relaxed overall; her neck tissue had softened dramatically.

The next morning, Rae called me. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it," she said. "You've got to come to my office and see the results of your work." When I walked in, Cassie met me, wagging her tail and with little apparent pain. Her neck was still a bit stiff, but the excruciating pain was gone, and her muscles were much more relaxed. I went ahead and worked on her about 10 minutes, and by the next day, Cassie was back to her usual self completely.

The wonderful thing about canine massage is that it is a non-invasive and nurturing way to bring pain relief to your dog. Massage, whether for humans or animals, is a means of preventive health. Massage on your dog can positively impact every system in the body...muscular, skeletal, circulatory, nervous, digestive, integumentary and reproductive. This article will be discussing the benefits of massage on your dog's muscular system, in particular.

Benefits of canine massage on your dog's muscular system include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Increases the supply of blood/nutrients to muscles

2. Aids in elimination of wastes/toxins from the muscles

3. Helps reduce atrophy of the muscle due to inactivity/disuse/recovery

4. Relieves muscle tension, soreness and spasms

5. Aids in elimination/prevention of muscular adhesions

6. Increases flexibility/function of the joints

7. Improves muscle tone

The muscular system is a very strong force within the dog's body. When these muscles are constricted or tight, that area of the body becomes ischemic, or lacking in proper blood flow. Due to this ischemia, movement can become restricted, and the area becomes painful. Without relieving this pain, the muscles will tighten even more, the body gets out of balance, and the problem escalates.

Massage for your dog can release these tight muscles, and get the circulation flowing smoothly once again. With this improved blood flow come the nutrients needed for the healing process. And, if a check-up by the vet has shown nothing, chances are that it is a muscular problem, and massage will help your dog recover quickly.

Note From The Editor:
(Pullen is licensed in Arkansas as a Master Massage Therapist, Nationally Certified, and Certified in Canine Massage through Optissage, Inc.)