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Post by Ted on Dec 29, 2010 17:10:20 GMT 10
Hi Tom
I recently had a dog stood down at a race meeting with left shoulder pain - the subscapular muscle and on flexion of the elbow shoulder. Also the vet said that the dog had slight wasting of the supra and infra spinatus muscles on the left fore leg.
My questions are can I do anything to stop the wasting? What causes the wasting? and is it a possibility that the pain the the leg is flexed is coming from the neck and not the supra and infra spinatus muscle?
Thanks
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Post by Tom Meulman on Dec 29, 2010 20:25:27 GMT 10
Hi Ted,
There is little doubt in my mind that the wasting of muscle tissue in many instances is caused by poor nerve supply to that muscle tissue.
In regard to the dogs shoulder, you need to check if there are spasms in the base of the neck and/or in the upper spine between the saddle muscles that may be causing both the pain and the muscle wasting.
The best way to check if there are problems at the base of the neck is to place your index finger between the base of the neck and the top of the shoulder blade, press downwards and rock your finger backwards and forwards, checking both sides.
If there is severe discomfort when you do this, it certainly indicates that there are severe spasms in the base of the neck causing nerve compression.
To check the upper spine, place the edge of your thumb in between the spinal segments starting at the upper one and press downwards firmly. Additional pressure can be placed on the thumb by using your other thumb on top of the one between the spinal segments.
Check each area between the spinal segments working your way down the upper spine.
Again severe discomfort or the inability of the dog to handle firm downward pressure would indicate painful spasms in that part of the spine.
As far as treatment is concerned this really depends on the availability of the right person to relieve the spasms by massage and gentle manipulation. If that is not possible, hot towels + twice daily massage to the base of the neck and to both sides of the upper spine is certainly going to help.
Withered muscle tissue can be made more functional by the careful use of a muscle contractor or an Electronic Muscle Stimulator, + massage with a heat producing liniment after each treatment.
Cheers, Tom
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