Like humans, dog’s backs play an important role in their biomechanics so when a dog’s back is not functioning normally it affects their well being and general quality of life.

The main skeletal structures of dog’s backs are the vertebral column and ribs. The vertebral column and rib cage comprise strong bones and are supported by ligaments and muscles. The vertebral column protects the spinal cord which along with the brain is the core component of the dog’s central nervous system. The vertebral column also provides a point of attachment for the strong muscle groups that stabilise the dog’s body and contribute to trunk and back flexion. The rib cage’s primary function is to protect the organs, particularly the lung and heart.

What are the signs of back pain in dogs?

Due to the complexity and function of the musculoskeletal structures of the back and rib cage and its role in the nervous system, symptoms of back pain in dogs can manifest themselves in a wide range of ways. Here are just some signs that your dog may have back pain.

• Soreness to touch when patting or grooming and general discomfort like an inability to settle, pacing or vocalising.

• Reluctance to move including reluctance to jump onto furniture, jump into the car or walk up or down stairs. Look out for the dog resisting turning in one direction like when they turn to retrieve a ball or turn in circles to go to sleep.

• Shortened stride in the hind limbs and less co-ordinated power from the hamstring muscle group.

• Lameness in the limbs including limping or loss of feeling. Dog may be licking their legs or feet.

• Shallow breathing from rib cage restriction.

• Lower head carriage or stiffness in the neck, reluctance to move their head.

• Kyphosis – hunching or roaching in the back.

What is the source of my dog’s back pain?

Dogs can stress and damage their backs in any manner of ways including:

• Accidents – Slips and falls, poor coordination or an awkward movement.

• Trauma – Dog bumps into another dog, furniture, fence or the dog is hit by something like in the case of car accidents.

• Chronic overload from repetitive movements – chasing, jumping or activities like herding, flyball or racing. Dogs that pull weights in harnesses, such as those involved in weight pulling or carting often have back and neck pain.

When there is any pain or functional impairment associated with the spinal cord, then a veterinary diagnosis is required. In some cases, a full neurological evaluation is recommended to determine the best treatment.

Back pain can be caused by a range of conditions that may include:

• Muscle strain or tear

• Nerve injury

• Intervertebral disk degeneration

• Neoplasia

If you suspect your dog has pain, please contact your vet for an accurate diagnosis and immediate pain management for your dog.

How to treat a dog with back pain?

Once the source of the dog’s pain has been identified, a suitable treatment plan can be formulated. The plan needs to consider any contraindications such as instability in the spine, existence of metastases, severe osteopenia (reduced bone mineral density) and post-surgical wounds.

Depending on the diagnosis a physical therapy treatment plan will likely address the following:

Pain

Managing the dog’s pain has to be one of the key objectives of any treatment programme. Ethically, managing pain is imperative but also chronic pain can adversely affect the dog’s recovery. When a dog is in pain, they are likely to adopt a guarding posture to avoid further pain. They are also likely to move less. Both of these responses affects the tone and function of the dog’s soft tissues. For dogs to remain healthy (or recover from a back condition), they need to be able to move without discomfort.

Remedial massage therapy has been shown in several human and animal studies to be effective in reducing anxiety and pain. It is thought that the mechanical nature of massage mobilises muscles and sub-dermal tissues and stimulates nerve fibres to inhibit the transmission of noxious stimuli to the brain. In so doing alters the dog’s perception of pain. Massage has been shown to reduce the concentrations of stress related substances cortisol and noradrenaline.

Muscle tension, muscle spasms and trigger points

Spinal dysfunction of any kind will produce muscle tension in the paraspinal muscles and other muscles that are loaded to compensate for the spinal dysfunction. Muscle overload may also result in trigger points forming.

The goal of effective treatment for painful, tender muscles is to stretch and lengthen the contracted muscle fibres and to stretch the entire muscle to restore a uniform length of sarcomeres of the muscle fibres. In the case of back pain, the dog may not allow direct treatment of the vulnerable area. In this case, an indirect approach is required. Treatment of compensatory muscles in the surrounding back and rib cage will help release muscle tension which will indirectly reduce pulling and compressive forces on the most painful areas.

Treatment may include gentle massage to release affected muscle fibres and stimulate circulation to draw oxygenated, nutrient rich blood flow to restore normal muscle tone and function. Passive range of motion, joint mobilisation and stretching techniques are effective in relaxing the whole muscle. In the case of trigger points, direct pressure release techniques can be effective in compressing the contracted muscle fibres which helps them release and return to their normal length.

Massage treatment including passive range of motion and stretching will also address painful muscle spasms by affecting the nerve endings in the musculotendinous junction to relax the muscle.

Proprioception

Restoring the dog’s awareness of the position of their joints, tendons and muscles is critical to restoring normal function. Effective treatment options to restore proprioception and the dog’s balance and co-ordination may include passive range of motion exercises, particularly in cases where the dog is immobile (like post-surgery). Assisted exercises where the dog is walked over different surfaces to promote neural pathways can also be beneficial.

For dogs that are able, more active therapeutic exercises such as walking on unstable surfaces, wobble boards or using inflatable fitness devices can also be used to effectively rehabilitate dogs particularly those with neurological signs.

Strength and locomotion training

Finally, a physical treatment programme may consider strength and locomotion training. Effective treatment approaches may include hydrotherapy, underwater treadmill walking or treadmill walking / trotting.

A study of dogs with back pain from cervical neurologic lesions concluded that a physical rehabilitation programme that focussed on neurorehabilitation had a beneficial impact of these dog’s central nervous system and allowed them to adapt and form new neural pathways. A mean rehabilitation period of two months had a primary role in the functional recovery of these dogs and avoided permanent and prolonged recumbency.

While surgery and confinement are likely to remain the mainstay of treatment options for dogs with back pain, complementary manual therapies and remedial exercise have been shown to have positive results and should be considered as part of a treatment programme.

Full Stride provides remedial massage treatments and exercises to restore and maintain dog’s mobility. For more information about how a massage treatment may benefit your dog please contact me. or send me a message via the Full Stride Facebook page.

Sources:

Adams, R., White, B., & Beckett, C. 2010. “The effects of massage therapy on pain management in the acute care setting.” International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 3(1), 4.

Gonçalves FIR, Martins APNR, Alves MMF 2016 “Functional Neurorehabilitation in Dogs with Cervical Neurologic Lesion.” Journal of Veterinary Science Technology 7:301

Hourdebaight, Jean-Pierre. 2004, Canine Massage: A complete reference manual 2nd edition, Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee WA, USA

MacFarlane, P.D, Tute, S.A & Alderson, B. 2014 “Therapeutic options for the treatment of chronic pain in dogs”, Journal of Small Animal Practice (55) p127 – 134

Millis, D.L, Levine, D & Taylor R.A (ed) 2004 Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Elsevier Inc, Missouri USA

Robinson, N. 2015 “An Emerging Standard of Care for Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Disease in Dogs” Available at: https://curacore.org/an-emerging-standard-of-care-for-thoracolumbar-intervertebral-disk-disease-in-dogs-2/ [27/7/2017]

Robinson, N.G & Sheets, S, 2015 Canine medical massage: techniques and clinical applications. American Animal Hospital Press, Colorado.

Simons, D. G. 2002. Understanding effective treatments of myofascial trigger points. Journal of Bodywork and movement therapies, 6(2), 81-88.