Hudson is an 8 and a half to 9 year old amazing soulful Bernese Mountain Dog rescued when he was a puppy as he grew too big. What his previous owners missed out on was that as he grew, so did his heart.
This mountain of a boy was so so trusting during his first ever physical therapy session and oh so receptive. And when his eyes looked at me, they looked into me.
He has 3 swollen vertebrae which cause him to be sore. The other week his tail was also down and he knuckled a little. Time for some massage help.
He greeted me at the bottom of the back garden and guided me up to the patch of grass where we were to work in the shade. And there he sat for me. Magnificent back facing me waiting for the session to start.
He generated a lot of heat on initial palpation which indicated tight fascia. Understandably so, as he had been holding himself scrunched up during this soreness flare-up.
He was open to all massage techniques, enthusiastically with front end work. Imagine holding up that magnificent head all day – neck and shoulder muscles working overtime. Good place to start and build up the trust between us – not that he really needed that, he’d already decided I was welcome.
He allowed gentle work on his tight back muscles, falling asleep when I placed the PEMF mat on him while also giving him Red Light therapy. Compound therapy.
We ran though a series of stretching exercises for him – which woke him up for a short while before he flopped himself back on the ground to sleep while his Mum and I worked out a maintenance plan for him.
On the second visit his Mum said that the day after, “it was as though he was learning to walk again” which is the best description I have ever heard of the untangling of fascial tension. His coat suddenly started to fit and months of holding himself tight due to the sticky fascia was suddenly freed. He found that he could start to walk with his head and back taller again.
Hudson will be starting a regular therapy schedule with me to continue the work on his back soreness and help him further with his relearning how to walk, while I get more of his heart therapy Seems a good deal to me.
Vet Eili Dettmering has been visiting our Sarah for the past couple of years to give her Aculaser therapy for her arthritis and other issues.
Recently, the arthritis in Mr Sam’s left shoulder has started to cause a few dips in the morning so she has been started therapy with him. Naturally, this put Sarah’s nose right out of joint as she believed that Auntie Eili was hers and not to be shared. Meanwhile Sam thinks these are the best Friday evening presents he’s ever had…Auntie Eili, therapy AND treats.
But an even bigger way to put both noses out of joint, is for their Auntie Eili to then bring in her own two dogs for Dads to work with. Oh-so much whining noises for an hour. Sam and Sarah were not going to let us forget they were there first and were not to be ignored.
We’ve been seeing Benny and Louie every now and again to help with their own issues. Their Mum first described Benny as ‘fast and bendy’ – he needs less work than his brother. Louie is the agility boy and is far more suspicious at first. He’d recently tightened up in his front muscles and mid back which needed some manual therapy to ease them.
The best way to work with Louie is to not work on the issue straight away – that works with his anxiety. His mid back was quite reactive at first. But by concentrating on his shoulders and neck, the fascia started to relax and stretch, allowing me to start gentle work on his stiff back. Fascial work is quite amazing – you can work on one part of the body, but see another part visibly start to ease. Which is what Louie’s back did.
You can clearly see the progression in these photos. The first was Louie going “Ok…..not sure but keep going”. The second was more “Ah…the neck is easing so I can relax”. The third was “THAT’S the spot…thank you”.
Bobi and Pixie have a lovely sunny garden which is ideal for safe working. The dogs get their massage and heat therapy which is a double bonus.
Both love their sessions enthusiastically – sometimes over keen. One minute Pixie can be purring contentedly in my arms and the next she is off racing round the garden showing her new flexibility.
But she comes back. Equally Bobi can be lying on the ground smiling his oh-so handsome goofy smile and then he’s off in a wrigglefest.
But the end result is always the same – two sparko dogs relaxed for the remainder of the day as in these pictures.
We really can’t ask for better feedback.
PaawHouse magazine were looking for stories where the owner had been inspired by their dog.
Hmm...sounded just like our Sarah. Can’t get more inspiring than helping your Dad totally change career.
I put the writing hat on again and her story has just been published.
Sarah's Story
#prouddad
Sometimes, you meet a dog for the first time and they immediately decide that you are to be their Best Friend Forever – and it is reciprocated.
Meet 3 year old Golden Retriever Archie. A big goofy soppy cuddly fluff ball. We worked in the garden and he simply sat on me – for 45 minutes. My legs had totally gone to sleep by the end but Archie was not going to miss one millisecond of his therapy.
He had been displaying stiffness in his back. He greeted me through the front gate with the biggest smile “Oh hi…you’re Dr Les. I love you already” before sitting on me as I made myself comfy on the lawn.
As soon as I touched his lower back, he just threw his head up with a huge grin – that was the spot. Heat came from the area, his eyes rolled in bliss and his smile reached his ears.
The tension had worked itself up his spine into his neck. He adored all the attention and help.
After a while he turned over and gave an enormous stretch on his back – a stretch that went all the way from his neck to his tail. No tension there now. I said to his Mum to look at the stretch, when he huge looked up at me and stretched his front legs even further – just to show us both that he could. So many times, when talking about a dog with their Mum or Dad during a session, the dog seems to listen and display what we are talking about. In Archie’s case, it meant a l-o-n-g dog.
He even managed to have a darn good scratch at the end, which he hadn’t been able to do.
When he walked off he had his Retriever mince back, his fur was positively flowing around his like a prize Afghan Hound and he was soooo happy.
An amazing boy and my latest BFF.
Recently, 7 year old Miniature Dachshund Rufus started dipping slightly from his back left leg. In his short life, he has already undergone 2 major spinal operations due to fenestrated vertebrae and his Mum was rightly conscious of the need to help him through any new mobility issues as soon as possible.
He appreciates some calming Reiki work during his massage, so Chris went to give a double therapy session.
He was very excited to see him. And responsive, settling in for some muscle tension release and compression, which is one of his favourite techniques. All the while, also getting some calming Reiki.
His Mum was astounded by his response and the way he looked even longer at the end of the session. His whole body also felt warmer and softer. He’d clearly been taking all the therapies in.
We hear that quite a lot. A dog who hasn’t been able to settle, gets straight into the massage zone and stays there for the full hour long session.
11 year old Staffie Pickle had just recovered from an operation which has limited her free walks. Her Dad wanted me to go over and give her a therapy session now that everything has healed so she doesn’t harm anything when she finally becomes harness-less.
I’ve visited her 4 times now and she has her own pattern during the session. At first, she simply won’t settle, meaning I sit on the floor by the mat and catch up with her Dad until she decides she is ready. That can be 10 or 20 minutes. And she can settle anywhere in the room. Also during the session, she has several ups and downs.
This time though, she totally amazed us both. She was ready on the mat within seconds. And her left arm (where she had been operated) was up in the air waiting for some help.
And there she stayed. A full 60 minutes of snuffling, grunting, sighing, Staffie noises. But as soon as the session was over, she woke up, looked around as though to say “Oh….there you both are” and made her way to her favourite chair to sit in the sun for the rest of the day. A longer, happier more comfy Pickle than an hour previously.
Yes, she needed that.
It’s a very special moment when the dog you’re working with gives you their total trust. You can feel it. It might be physical where they relax and slump into your arms. Or it could be a glance up at you with soft eyes that are no longer showing discomfort. Or a sighing snore. Whichever way they show it, it is always special.
Staffie Pixie loves playing with her new adopted brother Bobi. But he’s bigger than her, 9 years younger and a lot clumsier. Regardless of all that, they have great fun together. Except when their play became over exuberant resulting in Pixie hurting her back.
She was taken straight to the vet who gave her some anti-inflammatories to ease the discomfort. We visited her about a week later armed with all our Achy Tools – the PEMF mat, the Red Light phototherapy machine and Chris, our Reiki practitioner and back work specialist.
She was, understandably, a little reluctant at first but with calming Reiki and gentle touch she eased her way into the session. As she was sitting in Chris’s lap, we had the PEMF mat snuggled into her back at the same time. This meant she was being treated from all sides – Reiki, massage and pulsed frequencies. That’s a great cooking recipe.
She made lots of “I quite like this” noises but also had the Staffie “I’m not going to give in” attitude. Until she did. And gave that Trust Look. She turned round, looked up at Chris with huge Staffie eyes and that was it. She was clearly feeling relieved.
Special – very special
Hector is almost 13 now and a big Staffie. He was rescued a few years ago and his new Mum found he had intermittent lameness due to arthritis, calling me in to help from the start of his new life.
Over the time I have worked with him, his personality has changed to being quite shy to a bundle of Big Bouncy Staffiness. He smiles, he plays, he rolls around showing me his ample tummy, he has a wander round the room and then settles.
Hector is a classic example of the way we work with dogs - namely respecting their terms. The dog shouldn’t be forced to stay in one place because that is comfortable to the therapist. Hector may start on the massage mat and then move to his Mum’s feet or, more recently, up on his favourite chair. In fact, the latter is quite a good place to work with him as he fits exactly between the arms of the chair when he has a stretch – great for back work.
On the last session, he was 100% a chair dog. 30 minutes one side then, without prompting, he turned around so I could work on the other side. He has a large magnificent Staffie head which suits cheek massage perfectly. And he LOVES that technique as the picture shows.
During the session, his eyes went from wide, to dozy to sleepy. His smile grew bigger and his snores got louder (listen to the videos on the next post).
I first met Corkie, his amazing Dad and the unique Corkie Stair Lift at the end of the year in 2017. Since then, we’ve met a couple of more times when his Dad organised some training sessions for other Mums and Dads over at St Leonards.
In 2017, Corkie had just been diagnosed with OA and his Dad wanted to know how he could help with this new issue. Physical therapy via massage and exercise, was a perfect fit for Corkie and his Dad started a routine of daily sessions with him.
However, Corkie’s condition is degenerative as is his mobility. His Dad had become aware that the work he was doing with him probably needed a tweak to match these changes. Corkie is beginning to drag his hind leg a little, he is finding it harder to get up after a sit and is less likely to settle.
The first thing to do is to have a pain medication review – which is what his Dad did and Corkie is now on Galliprant and Paracetamol. Both are helping but new things are needed to help stabilise his ongoing OA.
Treating OA is rather like trying to find the pieces to build a jigsaw – you are adding items to make the whole more stable. Therapy is multi-faceted and adaptive to changing conditions. Corkie has the pain medication, now he has a new targetted massage routine, he is soon to have his first session of acupuncture from the wonderful Tim Couzens and will probably start hydrotherapy in the near future.
All these pieces of the jigsaw will look after his discomfort, his energy levels, his cardiovascular and muscular fitness.
At the end of this session, Corkie was certainly happier – he was wagging his tail (which he hadn’t done in a while) asking his Dad to collect his lift and carry him downstairs to the park. He fairly bounded across the road.
Cathal’s Mum has known us for many years and even hosted us in her shop to chat to her customers about the many benefits of canine physical therapy. And now it is our turn to help her with a not often discussed benefit of physical therapy - digestive issues.
In 2016 we had a request to help Floc who was suffering from constipation. When he came to us, we performed lots of gentle work over his abdominal muscles which were, understandably, as tight as a drum. Before he left, he had a few successful ‘movements’ in our garden and then, over the next few days, his carer would send me plenty of texts describing other successes – LOTS of successes.
Cathal had been suffering from an Impacted bowel for 1 week and, like Floc, had been straining uncomfortably. This was, in turn, affecting his whole body. He was standing hunched, he was wobbly, he was constantly trying to push down. He looked very uncomfortable. Think how you would feel or stand in a similar situation.
His Mum had taken him to vets a few days before my visit where he had been sedated and flushed as the X Rays showed he was backed up into his colon. But he was still holding himself tight.
He is a bouncy boy with a short back for a French Bulldog. When he is well, he doesn’t really squat when pooing but stands and pushes. Any extra hunching due to this new discomfort, would affect his mobility further.
Cathal was made for massage – he adored it.
I started working on other areas of his body before getting to his tummy. But I needn’t have worried. He just smiled and sighed when working around his abdominal area.
I spent an hour with this lovely boy easing out his strained back muscles and generally helping his recover from his poo-tension.
After I left, he was fast asleep with a relaxed look on his face. Massage therapy is truly holistic working on the whole body.
We don’t like to stand still with our therapies. We belong to the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT) who are a body of recognised, trained, fully insured professionals who are committed to continuous professional development. It means we are able to bring new techniques and ideas into our practice.
This year we have completed CPD in Animal Physiotherapy, Phototherapy, Thermography, Canine Positional Release & Muscle Energy Techniques and recently a two-day course on Indirect Myofascial Release with Jo Rose who offers a wide array of CPD courses for all professional animal therapists delivered by Dawn McCaig
Both the Positional Release & Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) and Indirect Myofascial Release workshops have added some useful new techniques and knowledge, especially suitable for our senior boys and girls, as they are gentle, slow and safe moves ideal for aching joints and stiff bodies.
MET minimise chances of over-stretch, stress or inflammation by holding the joints in a direction of ease rather than strain. And, where Direct Myofascial Release work helps to make the tissue move by force, Indirect MR is more of a holding and melting, without initiating any muscle guarding. It looks like the therapist is just holding their hands still on the client but, in effect, the tissue underneath is moving quite a lot.
So, the next time you see us working with your dog and it looks like we aren’t moving – don’t worry, we are just using our new skills to help. If you watch, you will see the tissue moving under our hands, loads of heat come off and the client relax even more
13 year old Rosie received lots of good wishes when I first visited her and posted her story. At that time, when I was invited into her house she was sitting in the hall by the wall and had to be helped into the lounge for her therapy. Once there though, she was an “OMG…this is what I have been waiting for” dog.
When I left, I had a feeling that her family would all get involved and rally round to help her as much as they could.
And they have….so much. Rosie is a new dog.
On this visit, she greeted me at the dog excitedly and wagging her broad tail. A different girl. Standing straighter with more confidence. More musculature evident. Bright eyes, attentive and enthusiastic.
Her Mum said that she gets a massage daily (her personalised workbook was in a folder on the sofa by the toys). Now, when massage is over, she looks up at her Mum with a “Hmm…why have you stopped?” look. The youngsters in the family are involved too. Every treat she is given, she is made to give a nice long nose to tail stretch working on her spinal and core muscles. She plays with her tuggy toy which she hasn’t done in a long while. She is eager to walk and sometimes even asks to go round the block. And to complete the transformation, she is now confident to start getting on the bed (with some help) and the armchair in the living room.
She decided to show me how she could get on the armchair – which is where she remained for the next hour’s therapy session.
Her fur is so much softer now and she now has space under it. She is no longer wearing a coat two sizes too small. She still has her myofascial twitches. Touching the left side, causes the right rear leg to twitch and touching the right side, makes the left rear leg twitch. She knows it is annoying to her but was very tolerant as I eased the fascia.
But she was happy, smiling, sighing and closing her eyes in delight. Such a transformation due to the consistent work done by her family every day. I look forward to seeing how much progress she makes in the future.
#imanewgirlnow
10 and a half year old Staffie Bertie, found himself in Arundawn Dog Rescue
a few weeks ago (http://facebook.com/arundawn7 ) where Elaine put up a video of him walking with a limp. We offered to visit to help him in the kennels, but he was immediately fostered which is where Chris saw him the next day.
At that time, his coat was quite dull and his fur was very tight, He needed a lot of myofascial release.
4 weeks later Chris went round to see how he was progressing. First thing – he is in his forever home. His new Mum and Dad became failed fosterers. They said, “He saw a mat in the middle of the room. He lay on it. He crossed his paws. He gave a look of I’m home now”.
Second thing - his Mum has been keeping up the massage with him from our workbook and said that he can jump up onto the sofa, which they were amazed the first time he did.
Third thing – he has lost weight. He has started to get his Staffie wiggle back. His Mum said they could see a change in his shape, albeit slowly. He is walked twice a day and they are looking at starting hydrotherapy with him.
Fourth thing – there are carpet runners in the hall so no slippy stocky Staffie legs.
All in all, Chris was so pleased with his improvement. His coat is now glossy and loose. He was no longer guarding his body when touched, no reactive looks. Instead his muscles were all moving freely and his gait was balanced with a big grin as he showed off his moves.
And his personality has really come out. He is a real Mummy’s boy and happily throws himself at your feet and smiles.
Bertie has clearly landed on his paws.
Meet Charley – the amazing Red Lighting Magnetically Vibrating Chocolate Lab.
Some months ago. we bought a Low-Level Light Therapy device to target some relief for Sarah. Recently I completed my certification for the application of Phototherapy.
How does it work? The manufacturers explain it well here
And now we have a Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (PEMF) machine with a variety of mats. This site has a simple explanation of how that device works : “Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy can decrease inflammation and pain, increase the rate of tissue repair and regeneration. This painless modality can be used adjunctively with rehabilitation sessions or daily at home. PEMF uses pulsing electromagnetic fields to jump start and accelerate normal biological cellular reactions. A small battery current is pulsed through a coil to create the electromagnetic field and initiate the biological cellular reactions. Cells contain electrically charged particles called ions that govern all cellular processes. When the body is stressed (by illness, competition, environmental factors or age) the cellular membrane that conducts the essential ions into and out of the cell becomes compromised and is unable to efficiently do its job of managing the transport of these ions. The PEMF machine generates a magnetic field that creates motion with these ions immediately and positively directly impacts these and the membrane potential to stimulate them into action. The result is an increase in cellular communication and circulation, a decrease in inflammation and pain and a resulting acceleration of healing. There are no side effects seen with the use of PEMF.”
Me, being the scientist I am, researched further and this, very technical, journal item explains it in great depth.
What does all this technical jargon this mean to our Sarah? Well, she is treated on the large mat every morning after her first walk, targeting both hips, knees, paws and lower back – all her achy bits. In the evening she is treated with the Vetcare light, targeting specific areas of issue. Both may contribute to ease her discomfort.
Our Sam is suspicious of everything that he can’t eat (or pee on). And would wriggle off the mat. Now with the smaller mat, we can slide it under his elbow, which is where his arthritis is worse, and he just continues snoozing. Similarly, he can be also be targetted on that area with the Vetcare.
What does it mean to us? We use the PEMF device on our hips, knees, back and neck……and it is so soothing. For a long while after, we feel young again – well……young-ish. But it is a device that we can see and feel working. If it feels as good on our dogs as it does on us, then that is a big addition to their multimodal therapy regime.
Meanwhile, back to Charley. Like Sarah, his aches and pains are centred on his rear end. As a bigger boy, he can lie on the PEMF mat while having his photo therapy and being massaged. After that, we can then target any new niggles he has picked up – I this case, his elbow on which we used the smaller mat. All in the same session.
After his second multi-therapy session, his Mum, who is now very observant to changes in his gait and behaviour, wrote “Charley has just woke up, bright eyed and bushy tailed. We went for a short walk- lots of energy, pretty fast I have to say, no sound of nails dragging, front paws back to front position, tail wagging. Thank you so much Les- happy doggy, happy mummy! Now we have to risk the temptation to overdo it.”
Treatments evolve and improve – new ideas, new techniques and modalities are continually being introduced. Here at AchyPaw, we look into these developments and, where appropriate, offer and incorporate them into our treatment regimes.
Have a read of our case histories and feedback and, if you think we could help you and your four-legged friend, give us a call or drop us an email. In order to treat your dog, we need a vet consent form – for the most part this is a no-fee formality to allow your vet to check our credentials and approve the treatment as a complement to any treatment they may already be providing.
#anothertoolinourtoolbox
I’m scheduled for another volunteering session at Arundawn Dog Rescue in a few days. But I saw a recent post from Elaine about Bertie the 10 and a half year old Staffie who was sadly back in kennels at the time – although now is in a wonderful new foster home.
When I looked at the videos, I felt sure that we could definitely help him – he clearly had issues which would benefit from a physical therapy session. I showed the video to Chris and he agreed. A phone call to Elaine, agreement from their vet and 36 hours later our back expert Chris was with Bertie and his new fosterers to offer a voluntary session.
Initially Bertie’s coat was quite dull and his fur was very tight – you could see him struggle to get any fluidity in his movement. He was our classic “36 inch chest in a 32 inch coat” dog. This where the fur is so tight it is like you’ve put on your favourite coat after a rather over-indulged Christmas – the buttons pop. We can, at least, tug at our clothes to stretch them. A dog can’t do that – but we can help with plenty of myofascial release.
Bertie was a dream to work with – all he wanted was attention and touch. As Chris was working with him, he was demonstrating the techniques with Bertie’s new fosterers. They both have monthly massages so fully understand the benefits and didn’t need any convincing that it would help Bertie.
Chris also left a few suggestions about household adaptations to make things more Bertie Friendly such as following where he walks to see where he might need a carpet runner or two. We offered them support if needed and suggest follow up in a few weeks to check progress.
At the end of the session, Chris had left behind a new dog who tried to stop him leaving and with a loose shiny coat that actually fitted him. It won’t take Bertie long to become another AchyPaw Massage Diva.
Sherlock 3.0
Sherlock the Labrador is like one of your best friends who you only see once a year but carry on as though no time has passed.
We had Sherlock 1.0 who was only a puppy then. His Mum and Grandmum travelled all the way from South London to learn a bonding massage routine with him.
Then the next year we had Sherlock 2.0 who came to us to check out his growth and muscle development but also to teach his Mum some specific calming and relaxation massage.
And this year we have Sherlock 3.0 who has unfortunately been diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia. His vet doesn’t think it warrants any surgical intervention at the moment but certainly adding some physical therapy will help.
Sherlock is still a puppy and takes every opportunity that he thinks you’re off guard to sneak in a nose boop. He could look like he is fast asleep and then, ha…got you Uncle Les and Chris.
His Mum is keeping him in amazing shape weight-wise. A Lean Lab. But he needs maintenance and management for his condition to help his rear leg muscles take up the extra support his hips will need. Already he is showing some signs of stiffness but all things that his very caring Mum can work with every day. She just needed some direction on how to help Sherlock 3.0.
One thing we did learn about him is that he LOVES jaw massage. Eyes closed, silly grin, head leaning into the massage. A definite Go To spot for him.
We went through some hip muscle building exercises as well to add to his daily routine. Sherlock and his Mum can spend a few minutes Them Time to help keep his thighs in top condition for the next stage of his adventure.
#we’llmeetagain
Whoopi Rose Monkey may only be 1 year old, but she’s a veteran at massage already. Not so much with her, but by watching her brother Harry receive his regular sessions from Chris. During each session, she’ll be receiving the Reiki that is passed her way as well.
When she first attended the sessions, she had to separated in an adjoining room as she just thought “Hmm…humans on the floor….must climb on them”. But as she became used to Chris sitting on the floor with her handsome brother, she would join in, but slightly less enthusiastically.
Now she has her own reason for physical therapy having developed a limp from her front end. She was very tolerant and accepting – she is still a wriggly pup remember. Chris was soon able to find the reason for the limping which was a very tight right shoulder and compensating left hip. She allowed all the techniques and clearly enjoyed the therapeutic touch. She wound down remarkably and was quite calm at the end.
Brother Harry did not get missed out of course. In between Whoopi Wiggles, he came up for his own therapy. He always greets Chris like an old friend, coming up with his tail wagging.
Another example of how the dog who is not being treated can benefit as well. When it becomes their turn, they know what to expect.
#whentwobecomeone
Ted is very well named as he is like a big cuddly bear. He is an almost 8 year old Akita Collie cross who was diagnosed with bilateral cruciate issues which his Mum hopes to treat conservatively.
Their first method of treatment was weight loss. I know that doesn’t sound like ‘treatment’ but for any weight-bearing issues, getting some of the extra kilos off will be most beneficial. His weight had crept up to 35 kg with the reduced exercise but now is going down into the upper twenties. He still has some way to go, but gradual is better than nothing.
He has some muscle wastage on his hips, understandably, as he protects his knees when walking. An aim with the physical therapy routines for Ted was to build those muscles up again while maintaining the tone in the front leg muscles which are taking some of the extra strain currently.
The whole family was involved in the session. Each took their turn at feeling how his muscles were before therapy so they have a base-line and then again at the end plus each went through some of the massage routines they were shown. A real family involvement.
This means that everyone will be able to help Ted start his rehabilitation and maintain it.
They also took onboard the household adaptations suggested. Things like raising the food and water bowl so he doesn’t have to place undue pressure on his knees. They all went round the house bringing back objects saying “Is this tall enough? Or what about this?” Who knew that one house could contain so many simple bowl raisers?
They also all got involved with the simple strengthening exercises he was given – which Ted thought wonderful.
He was in his element with so many people caring for him and helping him.
With such a good family support system around him, Ted is now in many good hands for his conservative treatment plan.
#itsafamilyaffair
Jessica Jayne is an 8 year old Collie / German Shepherd cross. When she was 3 she had an X-Ray on her shoulders to detect why she was showing sign of lameness but no issues were found.
She still has intermittent lameness on her shoulders which comes and goes. Her Mum and Dad thought that professional help might be advisable now before this becomes a continual problem or before she starts to compensate her gait.
While I was working with her, I was looking round the house seeing simple household adaptations that could be made to maintain the good work from manual therapy. The floors were laminate – except for one runner “which she lies on a lot – she likes that”. Just explaining why, made it all clear to her Mum and Dad who were going out that afternoon to get more.
The water and food bowl were on the floor – “She seems to eat and drink very quickly and the bowls skid all over the floor”. If she has issues with her shoulders now, bending down to the floor to eat and drink is not going to be fun.
Try it - get on all 4s on a laminate floor. Put socks on your hands and knees. Place your favourite chocolate in front on you. Without using your hands, try to get that chocolate. Yes, you’ll be skidding all over too. Another simple and cheap rug or mat in front of the bowls will solve all that. Feeding time will become fun again and won’t have to be rushed.
Jess was very receptive to manual therapy and her Mum and Dad thought that they’d easily be able to find 15 minutes each day where they can go through a routine with intention. NOT petting. NOT fussing. But sitting with her thinking about the muscles that are under their hands and why they’d benefit from some work.
With the massage routine, simple but effective exercises, warming-up, cooling-down and cheap household adaptations, Jess should able to enjoy her walks over Stanmer Park for a long time.
#runnerscarpetsandmats
