Hi again,

I was very excited recently to receive two referrals from an orthopaedic specialist who thought that his patients might benefit from some acupuncture and chiropractic work instead of surgery! Both dogs came in with sore necks and responded very quickly to treatment.

A common finding with dogs with neck problems is a habit for jumping on and off furniture. When a dog lands on the ground, the head comes up, the front legs are stretched forwards and the chest area braces itself by tightening up. Upon landing, the impact force travels up the legs and ends at the base of the neck. This puts added stress on the area and can create all sorts of nasty strains and tightness. The tightness in the chest area can lead to a hunched stiffness that exacerbates the neck problem. Try hunching your shoulders and lifting your head up. It will not be an easy to do.

Loosening up the stiffness in the chest area and relieving any soreness and tightness in the muscles with a combination of chiropractic, acupuncture and osteopathic releases will often resolve the neck issues. Jumping off the couch or bed will of course have to stop to prevent recurrences.

Till Next time,

cheers

Kim