Tui Na Helps Prevent Spring Injuries in Active Dogs

Most dogs are little progressive during the wintertime months. Find retired however Tui na tin assistance forestall aboriginal play injuries arsenic your canine “springs into action” again.

Spring is successful the aerial and your canine knows it. She wants to run, play, and frolic. It amusive to spot her feeling truthful exuberant — but is she truly acceptable to “spring into action” aft being a sofa murphy each winter? This is precisely erstwhile injuries often happen. Let’s look astatine why, and larn however the past Chinese method of acupressure-massage — besides known arsenic Tui na — tin assistance support your canine from hurting herself.

THE BODY’S “RUBBER BANDS”

Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are the “rubber bands” of the body. If they’re tight, stiff, oregon cold, they can’t execute their job, which is to comfortably flex the dog’s neck, trunk, and limbs. The tendons connect the muscles to the bones to signifier a lever system. One musculus and its tendon widen the limb forward, and the other musculus and tendon gully the limb back. Ligaments clasp the joints together; they are attached to the bony structures truthful they tin stabilize the joints.

After a play of constricted running, playing and jumping, specified arsenic often occurs during the wintertime months, abrupt vigorous enactment tin origin the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to drawback disconnected the bony oregon tear. The older the dog, the much conscientious you person to beryllium astir rebuilding and strengthening her muscles, adjacent erstwhile you commencement up the workout dilatory and carefully. Young dogs person much capableness to bounce, stretch, and determination with easiness — arsenic agelong arsenic they don’t overdo it.

FAST FACT: Another contented to ticker for is erstwhile your dog’s muscles tire; galore an wounded results from shaky, bushed muscles.

ANCIENT CHINESE ACUPRESSURE-MASSAGE

Ancient Chinese medicine doctors utilized acupressure-massage techniques to heighten flexibility and lukewarm muscles and joints. These techniques are referred to arsenic Tui Na (pronounced “tway nah”). They are an important portion of Chinese medicine and person been utilized connected some animals and humans for thousands of years.

Some Tai na techniques are warming successful quality due to the fact that they bring nourishing humor and Chi (life-promoting energy) to the affected country of the body.

FAST FACT: These techniques heighten the flexibility and stableness of the surrounding muscles, tendon attachments, and joints.

The 2 techniques we are going to research present are considered rubbing techniques that warm, summation circulation, and invigorate the tissues. They whitethorn look superficial, but they loosen the fascia — the fibrous layers of insubstantial beneath the aboveground of the tegument — and unfastened up the muscles beneath the fascia. In this way, they hole the tissues for movement.

TRY THESE TUI NA TECHNIQUES

1. Mo Fa (“moo fa”) involves rubbing successful a circular motion. Use the brushed pad of your mediate digit oregon the thenar of your hand, depending connected the size of your dog, and mildly determination your manus successful a circular rotation. Keep your wrists and hands relaxed. Begin dilatory with airy pressure, past aft astir 10 rotations, summation the velocity and unit until you consciousness the warmth of the tissues.

Mo Fa can beryllium applied straight connected muscles and joints. You tin displacement the circular question on the neck, trunk, and limbs.

FAST FACT: This method is instinctive erstwhile either you oregon your canine are wounded oregon consciousness stiff.

2. Cou Fa (“soo fa”) is a gentle yet vigorous method that indispensable beryllium applied rhythmically. Place 1 manus beneath the limb and the different connected top. Start person to the hep and determination your hands other each other, guardant and back, portion dilatory moving them down the dog’s leg. Again, property down mildly astatine first, past summation the velocity and extent of unit until you consciousness the tissues moving lightly nether your hands. Repeat this enactment 3 to 4 times.

Cou Fa can beryllium applied from the apical of a limb down to the paw; from caput to enarthrosis connected the neck; oregon enarthrosis to process connected the trunk. As needed, repetition this method 3 times connected your dog’s limbs, cervix oregon trunk, to lukewarm and consciousness the gentle question of the fascia and muscles beneath. Early play injuries tin beryllium painful, and enactment a existent damper connected the remainder of your dog’s outpouring and summertime fun. Start the play disconnected close with these 2 Tui Na techniques, applying them to your canine earlier heading retired for a walk, tally oregon romp. It tin marque a immense difference.

The station Tui Na Helps Prevent Spring Injuries successful Active Dogs appeared archetypal connected Animal Wellness Magazine.