Canine Health

What is a Myofunctional Therapy Treatment?

The term myofunctional therapy is one which is used to describe a type of massage which is performed on the dog. Although it is commonly believed that myofunctional therapy is used soley for its relaxing and calming benefits, its benefits go far beyond these.

Why Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional Therapy has many benefits, these include:

increased blood supply and therefore improving circulation
the elimination of toxic waste (before it builds up in the muscles)
improving circulation and reducing tension will have a favourable affect on the entire anatomy including nerves, muscles and organs.
rebalancing (particularly if the dog is suffering from an injury on one side).

Why is massage so important?

Massage is important for a number of reasons.

When massage is performed on dogs, they often become trusting and content. Having their entire body touched in a confident although non invasive manner allows them to be confident and aware of the various areas of their body. This is particularly beneficial for young, timid or unbalanced dogs
Massage improves circulation and lengthens connective tissue. This is important as this will provide the dog with an improved nutrient supply.
The break down and prevention of adhesions from the muscles.
The elimination of waste from around the joints.
Improves the dog’s range of movement.

In short, massage has an affect on the entire body of the dog. After asking the owner many questions in regards to their dog, the therapist will work from one end of the dog to the other. The myofunctional therapist will use his/her hands to feel the structures beneath the skin and call on experience and knowledge to pass on vital information to the owner as to what has been found. When the treatment is complete, various exercises and information will be passed onto the owners to encourage comfort and wellbeing.

Why would my dog need a myofunctional therapy treatment?

It shouldn’t be surprising that many dog owners feel that their treasured pets “wouldn’t” need a myofunctional therapy treatment based on the fact that they are pampered pets and not hard working athletes. So would it be true that only athletes need such a treatment?

With the many breeds of dogs, variety of conformations and the different lifestyles that we offer our dogs, there are a number of factors which mean that a muscle treatment is absolutely essential.

Factors which may cause a poor range of movement or compensation resulting in an unbalanced musculature include:

Polished floor boards:

For many dog owners, the perfect picture of having their dogs running over paddocks of green grass throughout the day is overshadowed by the fact that this is simply impossible due to their housing situation. Many of us live in suburban streets with small yards or apartment blocks, so our pets have adapted to lounging around the house until we find some precious time to take then for a stroll in the park.

For those of us who have laid polished boards or tiles in our house, unfortunately we could be causing a lot of discomfort for our dogs.

When dogs spend time outside, they use their claws to grip the ground as they move through the grassy lawn. They also use them as grip when they turn and also when they stop. Their dew claws are used to hold onto bones that they may be chewing throughout the day, and when they are running on more abrasive surfaces such as paths or stony lanes they wear the excess of their claws lessening the need for them to be trimmed.

If you take time to watch how your dog moves over your polished floors in comparison to how your dog moves on a more natural or grippy surface, you will soon notice that their movement on the smooth surface becomes very unnatural. Immediately your dog is offered no grip and therefore less stability. You may notice that the placement of the foot is quite different, causing an enormous amount of compensation not only through the feet and legs but also throughout the entire body.

This may be the beginning of an imbalance of your dog’s musculature.

Bedding – What sort of bedding does your dog have?

A dog’s bedding can vary in numerous ways. Some dogs can live in wooden kennels and some dogs can sleep in hammock style beds and others on a special sheet or towel placed on the floor.

No matter what sort of bedding your dog has, it is important to take each dog’s individual conformation and lifestyle into account. Check the size of the bed or kennel in comparison to the size of your dog. Feel the bedding and decide if the bedding is offering enough softness. If it is quite a hard surface, it may be causing pressure on a particular region of the dog. This can lead to a lack of circulation and result in adhesions causing discomfort for your dog.

If your dog is sleeping in a hammock style of bedding, be sure that the surface suits the shape of your dog. If the hammock is too loose it may be causing your dog to sleep in a position which is compromising its musculature. If your dogs bedding is directly on the floor, it is important to check if this surface is both soft enough and warm enough. A dog suffering from arthritic conditions may be suffering unnecessarily if his bed is situated directly on a cold concrete floor.

Lifestyle- Showing, agility, endurance, domestic.

Often I find that it is the most simple changes that can make a difference to the wellbeing of our dogs. You may be a family who has always owned dogs and feel that you have never had any major health issues with any of your dogs. This is great, however sometimes simple problems can be overlooked all because our precious , loyal dogs often go through life with little or no complaints unless they are in severe agony.

If your fencing isn’t adequate and you have to chain or tether your dog, he may be holding himself in a way which is causing him discomfort. Many of these dogs will move quickly untill they reach the end of the chain or tether causing their entire body weight to pull against the chain which is attached around the neck. We could relate this to being in a car which is forced to stop too quickly.

As humans we would have treatment for our pain and discomfort, however often because the dog still works well and moves without apparent discomfort, we tend to overlook the problems that our dog may be experiencing.

Dogs that are shown often need crating whilst waiting at the show. Once they are on the lead, although they are asked to walk with their head facing forward, many learn to look at their owners and over time this will often cause restriction of their neck.

Even the most fit dogs such as those which perform agility, endurance and racing can benefit from simple changes. Advice on warm up and cool down as well as training regime and maintenance muscle work is extremely beneficial for these dogs. Using various techniques will ensure the longevity of your dog’s career, rather than time out due to muscle injury.

Aged and domestic dogs are always eternally grateful when they are treated to muscle work. These dogs may have difficulty lifting their bodies out of bed or even moving themselves up into the car or getting back down again.

A myofunctional therapy treatment will offer these dogs comfort and warmth. It will offer the release of endorphins (the feel good hormones) and lubricate their joints, remove adhesions and increase circulation.

Aaaaagh is often the sound you will hear when your dogs are offered this type of therapy, and the increased range of movement and comfort they display is always more than enough thanks!