Laurie's Blogs.

I just spent the last 30 minutes dry-needling my hip, thigh and shin… and man oh man, I am in agony now!  It all felt good at the time - and it took away the pain I was having in each area, but now I have a whole new kind of pain and I can barely walk!!!  Great incentive to write a blog post!

So, this week, for the Members educational instalment, I have the May-June Newsletter.  This time it is filled with cases and 'ah-ha' moments from some of the people that competed in the Nerd-Contest… (for those of you just joining us… I had created a contest for members to tell what they had learned from using the website and/or their biggest ah-ha moments…) and I received some fabulous submissions… all worthy of passing along to you.  I decided to put them into the newsletter… and in fact, I have enough material for two newsletters… so the July-Aug issue will also feature lightbulb moments and pat-on-the-back triumphs from some of YOU the members!  

Why this matters, is that one of the submissions is a great article by Denise Testa - yes, you might recognize her name from a guest blog a while back.  This time Denise tells us about using her massage skills with scientific evidence to help determine WHEN the treatments would be most effective for her canine athlete clients.  It also fits perfectly with how I am feeling right now (in pain)!

So, when I am treating a canine athlete, I always want to take into consideration WHEN they are competing next.  I have a number of competitors that like to know that their dogs are in tip top shape before a competitions (and/or a show) - so they book their appointments sometimes weeks or months in advance - in order to get a spot with me before their big weekend.  

What I have learned over the years is that you don't want these tune-ups to be too close in proximity to the competition.  If the dog has multiple areas of concern or very stubborn joint dysfunctions, then correcting them with only a day between therapy and competition can leave the animal still sore at the time when the need to be functioning at their best.  And if dry needling would be beneficial, I had better give them at least 3 days to 'get over it'… (because trust me, I am aching right now and contemplating upping my 'prescription of wine' right now - and unsure of how my gym visit in the morning is going to go!)

Now lets think about manual therapy… if a dog is going to compete on the weekend - I'd prefer to see him or her on a Mon, Tues, or Wed.  That way there is time for the joints to 'settle into place' and/or settle down if moving them flared up a mild inflammatory reaction, and for the adjacent muscles to get used to holding the joints in place… as well, if a second session is needed, there is time before the event.  I might also consider adding more modalities to a session to really enhance the pain relieving aspect (laser of course - I love laser!).  If the animal has a number of trigger points… I might even prefer a week between treatment and competition… I have some very nasty trigger points on my right side (leg, arm, SIJ region and neck) - and when I go to work on them, I am sore for days.  So with my canine athletes, if there isn't a week leeway between treatment and competition, I elect for lasering the muscles only… and if trigger points are still there after the competition, then THAT's when I needle them.

It's a matter of training your clients WHEN the timing is best to seek your expertise.  If they know when your therapy is most optimally delivered, then you both win!  You are a success and the dog is a success (or as successful as can be!).  In her newsletter article, Denise taught ME that massage is best delivered 2 - 3 hours after a competition… and she was inspired to learn this because of my article on stretching - which is also best done after a competition or as part of a regular regime (but not before training or competition).

So, I want to inspire and encourage you to think about such things… WHEN would your therapies be most appropriately delivered… especially when dealing with a canine athlete?  And perhaps it can further be extrapolated to the advice you give to your pet-dog owners in regards to what they are allowed to do with their dogs immediately after your therapy session or over the following couple of days (i.e. playing with other dogs, going to the off-leash area, wrestling with the kids, husband, or house-mate).

I hope you find this interesting, and I'd love your feedback, thoughts, or ideas!

Until next time… Cheers!

Laurie

Laurie@FourLeg.com