The road to recovery following an injury can sometimes be long and arduous, but canine massage and rehabilitation can really help to speed the process. Sometimes—especially when they’re in pain—an animal is not always cooperative to rehabilitation right away. For those types of scenarios, you may need to do a bit of extra training to build confidence in your animal and show them that they can trust those people that are trying to help them.
Otherwise, massage can be a useful modality to aid in the healing process, as well as helping to relieve discomfort from chronic issues like arthritis and pain. Of course, your usual first step with any injury will be to consult with your animal’s veterinarian to get a clear overview of what’s ailing them and what can be done to start rehabilitating them.
The Long Game
People sometimes think that once the injury is patched up, or the surgery is performed, etc., that the healing process is complete. This, however, is oftentimes not the case at all! Take something like a Cranial Cruciate Ligament tear (Abbreviated CCL, and also referred to as an ACL tear), for example. The cruciate ligaments help stabilize the knee joint, and when they rupture or tear it can cause a lot of pain and immobility for your animal. Even after “fixing” the issue, there are often months of slow and meticulous rehabilitation work that follow. And massage is one of the modalities that can really help that process run more smoothly.
Circulation to the Injured Limb
After such an injury, your animal will not be able to put weight on the injured leg or exercise at the same level that they did pre-injury. This means that the muscles of that particular limb will atrophy. When the limb is not being used it can get less circulation. Massage can help by increasing the circulation of blood and lymph back around to the site of injury, thus helping the healing process. This also helps to maintain the flexibility and range of motion in the injured limb while it’s not in use, which is beneficial once the animal is finally able to start using that limb again.
Another thing that happens post-injury is that the uninjured limbs have to compensate by bearing the extra weight. This extra strain can lead to increased fatigue in those muscles, and even increased chance of causing injury to those limbs. Again, massage can help by relieving some of the extra stress put on those uninjured limbs, helping them to recover in between uses and decrease the risk of further injury.
Endorphins
Massage can also help with overall reduction of pain and discomfort because it stimulates the release of endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that influence the perception of pain and pleasure within the body. As they’re released into the bloodstream the sensations of pain and discomfort decrease and the body is able to relax and be at ease, which is beneficial to the healing process.
Circulation Throughout the Body
The general decrease in exercise levels after an injury usually mean that there’s less overall circulation throughout the body. Exercise and movement provide mechanical pumping of fluids through the body through contractions of muscles, increased heart rate, etc. When your animal isn’t able to exercise, those bodily fluids don’t move as much, which means they’re not as efficient at moving beneficial elements through the body and excreting toxins out of it. Massage acts as a sort of stand-in for exercise, by physically moving blood, lymph, hormones, etc. throughout the body, thus combating the stagnation and decreased mobility.
Contact me if you’d like to schedule a massage for your animal or learn more about the process!
Disclaimer: I’m not a veterinarian, just a canine massage therapist/behavior consultant who has participated in some rehabilitation journeys. Always consult with your veterinarian/health care provider regarding your animal’s particular situation!
