gracilis contracture- 2.5 yr GSD police dog

[Guest guest]

hello group.

wondering if anyone has suggestions for a 2.5 yr police dog with gracilis

contracture. he has the classic gait, and pain is ellicited with hip abduction,

and stifle extension. the Rdvm has confirmed gracilis contracture and is

wondering if rehab could help avoid surgery.

i am trained in massage, laser, acupressure, etc...so any tips whould be

helpful. i have done massage and PROM with laser to follow, at the end of the

session i am able to feel the muscle realease to some degree, but he is still

got the wonky gait!!!!

i am not sure the UWTM is appropriate, i am thinking more swimming, which

interestingly, this dog had no symptoms, and was swimming in the lake daily year

round. he stopped swimming for 1 month and then this occured--- is it

coincidence? hmm....

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

tania

CCRP, CAAP, CMT, VT

[Guest guest]

hopefully the rDVM won't try surgery unless he has a radically different approach -- we've never seen a case that was operated where the condition returned within a few weeks to months.

Treatment is based on same principles as fibrotic myopathy involving the hamstrings -- discussion is in the archives. Warm up, stretch, and then walk - trot to engage the extra few degrees of ROM in the stifle gained in the stretching, 2x/day

janJanet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMRDept of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Auburn University AL 36849 ______________________________ work ph: FAX (departmental): alternate email: steisje@...

To: VetRehab From: tania@...Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 04:29:15 +0000Subject: gracilis contracture- 2.5 yr GSD police dog

hello group.wondering if anyone has suggestions for a 2.5 yr police dog with gracilis contracture. he has the classic gait, and pain is ellicited with hip abduction, and stifle extension. the Rdvm has confirmed gracilis contracture and is wondering if rehab could help avoid surgery.i am trained in massage, laser, acupressure, etc...so any tips whould be helpful. i have done massage and PROM with laser to follow, at the end of the session i am able to feel the muscle realease to some degree, but he is still got the wonky gait!!!!i am not sure the UWTM is appropriate, i am thinking more swimming, which interestingly, this dog had no symptoms, and was swimming in the lake daily year round. he stopped swimming for 1 month and then this occured--- is it coincidence? hmm....any feedback would be greatly appreciated.taniaCCRP, CAAP, CMT, VT

[Guest guest]

oops, I meant to say we've never seen a case that was operated where the condition didn't return again .... we've never seen successful surgical outcomes for hamstring or adductor contractures. These double negatives are too complicated early in the day!

janJanet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMRDept of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Auburn University AL 36849 ______________________________ work ph: FAX (departmental): alternate email: steisje@...

To: vetrehab From: steisje@...Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 14:04:35 +0000Subject: RE: gracilis contracture- 2.5 yr GSD police dog

hopefully the rDVM won't try surgery unless he has a radically different approach -- we've never seen a case that was operated where the condition returned within a few weeks to months. Treatment is based on same principles as fibrotic myopathy involving the hamstrings -- discussion is in the archives. Warm up, stretch, and then walk - trot to engage the extra few degrees of ROM in the stifle gained in the stretching, 2x/day janJanet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMRDept of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Auburn University AL 36849 ______________________________ work ph: FAX (departmental): alternate email: steisjeauburn (DOT) edu

To: VetRehab From: taniacaninewellnessDate: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 04:29:15 +0000Subject: gracilis contracture- 2.5 yr GSD police dog

hello group.wondering if anyone has suggestions for a 2.5 yr police dog with gracilis contracture. he has the classic gait, and pain is ellicited with hip abduction, and stifle extension. the Rdvm has confirmed gracilis contracture and is wondering if rehab could help avoid surgery.i am trained in massage, laser, acupressure, etc...so any tips whould be helpful. i have done massage and PROM with laser to follow, at the end of the session i am able to feel the muscle realease to some degree, but he is still got the wonky gait!!!!i am not sure the UWTM is appropriate, i am thinking more swimming, which interestingly, this dog had no symptoms, and was swimming in the lake daily year round. he stopped swimming for 1 month and then this occured--- is it coincidence? hmm....any feedback would be greatly appreciated.taniaCCRP, CAAP, CMT, VT

[Guest guest]

Thanks, i

will look in the archives for info. I think the surgeon feels that now that

there is ‘rehab’ that surgery will have a better

outcome...basically leaving it to me to try and get him up and running after

surgery.....

tania

[Guest guest]

Tania -- hi there. Please let me emphasize to you and the surgeon with whom you are working that surgery for fibrotic myopathy/gracilis myopathy has been 100% failure in all cases we have seen or heard about with the surgeons trying a variety of approaches to remove the scar tissue etc.

About 10 years ago, we tried rehab after surgical removal of the affected muscle tissue in one dog (warming, stretching, etc) thinking we were smart and were going to fix things (!) and the condition returned within a few weeks.

There are anecdotal reports from others on the list and our experience as well that some working dogs and schutzhund dogs have recovered sufficiently to go back to work if they received a program of warming and stretching.

sincerely,

Jan

Janet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMRDept of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Auburn University AL 36849 ______________________________ work ph: FAX (departmental): alternate email: steisje@...

To: VetRehab From: tania@...Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 21:27:50 -0400Subject: Re: gracilis contracture- 2.5 yr GSD police dog

Thanks, i will look in the archives for info. I think the surgeon feels that now that there is ‘rehab’ that surgery will have a better outcome...basically leaving it to me to try and get him up and running after surgery.....

tania