Is a very common but chronic muscular disorder, associated with a muscular injury. It is a purely protective mechanism within the body, whereby the body is attempting to avoid further pain or injury. The condition occurs when an injured or arthritic joint is being protected by the muscles which cross it. These muscles will come under considerable stress due to the extra strain and over compensation as they are working much harder to protect the joint. As the muscles work harder, pressure builds up causing them to shorten, stiffen and tighten rather than being flexible and loosely supporting the joint. This leads to increased wear upon the joint and more pain in the affected area. Over a period of time this tension will alter how the muscle feels and functions, inhibiting its usual movement and range of motion.
If the condition is not addressed it could lead to trigger points, myofascial pain, muscle spasms or scar tissue. With the aid of massage this condition can be resolved. The affected muscles which have become fixed into a new position can be lengthened and loosened, enabling them to once again become more relaxed and flexible, leading to a much more mobile, pain free and happy dog.
Hypertonicity occurs as a result of too much resting tone in the muscle which causes tightness, cramping or involuntary muscle contractions. Tightness in the muscle over stimulates the sensory receptors in the muscle spindles which are responsible for detecting the changes in length. The surrounding web of fascia will also begin to tighten obstructing normal muscle function resulting in pain and tenderness. The affected muscle will feel hard and inflexible when touched, impeding its ability to lengthen and contract efficiently, interfering with normal movement and posture. Hypertonic muscle is susceptible to injury such as a strain or a tear. If it is left untreated it is also prone to developing trigger points as it is unable to relax efficiently due to its permanently contracted state leading to muscle fatigue and ongoing pain. Hypertonicity is a condition that will occur in most dogs at some stage in their lives. Day to day activities such as jumping in and out the car, climbing stairs or chasing a ball can cause this condition along with an injury or trauma.
Myofascial pain syndrome is a condition affecting the body’s enveloping connective tissue fascia. The function of fascia is to hold some of the body’s structures together whilst allowing others to slide easily over one another. Fascia is usually flexible and responsive but if any form of constriction occurs the tissue will become inflamed. The skin will tighten and shrink causing pain and tension to the structure it surrounds.
The affected areas of the body are known as trigger points which are essentially ‘knots’ in the muscle which occur when the muscle become taut and contracted. This state of contraction remains in the muscle, causing pain and compromising range of motion and flexibility. It is possible to have more than one trigger point within the same muscle. There are four types of trigger points,
- An active trigger point – usually lies within the belly of the skeletal muscle which is extremely sore and tender and is associated with local pain.
- A latent trigger point – is an inactive area anywhere within the body with the potential to become a trigger point. These points are not painful and do not bring about any referred pain.
- A secondary trigger point – is a hyperirritable spot in a muscle or fascia which could become active due to a trigger point or a muscle overload in another muscle.
- A satellite myofascial point – is also a highly irritable spot in a muscle that can cause spontaneous pain referral into a completely different area to where the muscle is.
Symptoms
- tenderness/pain
- hardening of the muscle on examination
- sensation of weakness in the muscle
- twitchy skin
- muscle fatigue
- limited range of motion when pressure is applied to the trigger point
- change in behaviour
Referred pain (pain in locations other than the trigger point) can also occur. This happens when the body is compensating for the sore area, for example, if a dog has arthritis in its front leg he won’t want to apply weight to the leg and will adjust for this placing more pressure on the muscles in his other leg. This protects the sore joint but may cause trigger points to develop in the muscles of the compensating leg.
There are many causes of myofascial pain syndrome, for example it could be genetic, a result of an injury or muscle tear, a repetitive activity or old age. Fortunately, most dogs with myofascial pain syndrome can regain normal mobility after receiving treatment. Some may have developed a permanent change in the muscle tissue if the triggers have remained in the body for a long while causing scar tissue.
Lameness refers to the inability to properly use one or more limbs.
Common Causes
- over exertion
- soft tissue injuries such as a strain or a sprain
- joint injuries
- bone dislocation or fractures
- too much of a certain activity e.g: ball chasing
- a collision with another dog or object
- jumping and landing awkwardly
- trauma eg: Road Traffic Accident
- arthritis / OCD / hip Dysplasia / neurological condition
Symptoms
- hobbling /limping
- unequal weight bearing
- Pain/discomfort
- Gait irregularity
- Throwing a leg
Benefits of massage
- directly address the issue Releases painful Trigger Points
- improves muscle suppleness and flexibility
- remodel scar tissue from the Strain
- manage areas of pain and soreness
- encourages natural working of the muscle
- improves gait/posture
- enables normal activity and exercise
- pain management for dogs with lameness due to Orthopaedic Conditions
- more relaxed/happy dog
A muscle strain also referred to as a pulled muscle or muscle tear occurs when the muscle fibres and small blood vessels overstretch or tear. A strain can occur in any muscle but they tend to be most common in the neck, back or shoulder due to bad posture or in the hind limb when the muscle becomes overloaded. A strain usually occurs due to muscle fatigue, overuse or the improper use of the muscle. When muscle tissue has been torn, for the first 3 to 5 days it will be very sore and tender if touched. The muscle fibres will then begin to regenerate. Where the gap appears in the muscle tissue due to the tear, scar tissue will form to join the two ends together. The collagen fibres form the scar within the muscle which prevents the muscle from moving. As the muscle tissue grows it becomes stiffer and restrictive which causes the muscle and surrounding fascia to shorten. This can cause bone misalignment in the affected area. Once it is present, scar tissue will always remain in the muscle. It is possible to make it more pliable by concentrating on the tissue it is attached to.
Symptoms
- sudden onset of pain
- soreness in the muscle
- bruising or swelling
- weakness combined with stiffness
- limited range of movement
- muscle spasms.
There are 3 grades of strain
- mild (grade 1) – little tissue tearing with mild tenderness or stiffness but it will still be flexible enough to use.
- moderate or acute (grade 2) – occurs if the muscle or ligament tissue tears suddenly due to an injury or trauma of some kind. It will be painful and some bruising and swelling may be present. Moderate strains are more likely to occur in the colder months when the muscle is stiffer and hasn’t been warmed up properly before use.
- severe or chronic (grade 3) – occurs as a result of repetitive movement due to sporting activity, holding certain muscles in the same position for long periods of time or due to poor posture. There will be no range of movement and the pain may initially be quite severe
There are 3 phases of injury repair
- stage 1, the acute or inflammatory stage – occurs from day 1 to day 3. When the muscle tears inflammation will immediately occur due to the due to bleeding in the site of the injury. It will manifest in pain, swelling and tenderness and should be treated with ice and rest to reduce any inflammation and ease any pain. The dog should not be subject to any exercise at this stage.
- stage 2, the sub acute stage – occurs from day 4 anywhere up until 6 weeks. At this stage the body begins to repair the damaged tissue. The body is also prone to re-injury as the muscle tissue is still weak and swollen and therefore could still tear. This is known as the strain, restrain cycle. The dog may still appear stiff and lame and be unwilling or unable to climb stairs, jump on the sofa and be slow on walks.
- stage 3, the chronic stage – occurs after 3 weeks and can last for weeks, months or even years. As the scar tissue has aged it is stable enough to hold the tissue together. At this phase the scar tissue can reduce the muscles flexibility by up to 50%.
