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Walking the Dog Related Injuries Protocol

Whenever we take our four-legged friends outside for a walk, they go crazy. It is not uncommon for anyone who has spent a significant amount of time walking their dogs to find that while dogs are our best friends, overexcited dog on a leash though can hurt. We never know when our dog might get interested in a squirrel or cat.

•  So, the most common mechanism of injury is that the dog pulls you on a leash. Of course, it has happened to every parent of a dog at least once that a sharp tug on the leash shakes a fur parent, causing a new injury or aggravating an old one.
• Among the most painful DRIs (Dog Related
  Injuries), caused by walking a dog that pulls, are.
• Sprains of the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of the
  fingers;
• Wrist ligament injuries;
• Elbow ligament injuries (similar to tennis and golfer’s elbow) and forearm muscle
  strains.

In other words:

“Shepherd’s strain” is a common dog walking injury caused by wrapping the leash around your wrist. If your dog pulls too hard, it causes traction. This puts you at risk of falling, dislocating your shoulder, or spraining your wrist.

“Tail wagger wrist” is a wrist fracture or dislocation caused by tucking your fingers under a collar to restrain an excited dog. This puts your fingers and wrist bones at severe risk of fracturing if  they get caught underneath. It’s usually not a clean break and could cause long-term ligament issues if not properly treated.

The most common shoulder injury from a dog pulling on a lead is the rotator cuff – this is a group of 4 muscles and their tendons that hold the upper arm to the shoulder blade. It can be difficult to tell exactly how much of a tear has been created at first due to initial inflammation, however, most partial-thickness tears can often be fixed by promptly applying SCENAR therapy.

SCENAR signal can be wonderful in relieving the pain and inflammation in the acute situation, especially when combined with resting the affected areas as much as possible initially, then using regular stretching exercises and ergonomic measures.

To start with, SCENAR treatment consists of limiting and reducing the inflammation (caused by
the torn edges). We then gradually treat the muscle, so that it repairs and strengthens without
‘pulling apart’. Sometimes the area also needs to be stretched as it heals, (newly repaired tissue tends to be tight and can effectively shrink-wrap the joint too tightly) or needs strapping to help
to keep the shoulder in the correct place, while it is weakened by a tear.

PROTOCOL

1. Immediately after Injury

In SDM combine brushing, massaging and stationary therapy to locate and get dynamics of the active point/ spot.

Device settings: F-180Hz, Int-8 or Preset “FastAid”, E – on the border of tolerance.

Treat the most painful spot using the built-in electrode.

Treatment time – 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the area.
Repeat the therapy several times a day.

Note: Acute trauma is treated without symmetry and spine.

2. First 5 days after the injury:

The focus is on reducing swelling and pain.

In SDM apply therapy to specific to the injury muscles.

Device settings: FM, Int-5, or Preset “LoFM”, Energy – high, but comfortable.

Treat the regional lymph node with the built-in electrode (30 – 60 seconds), then the injury itself.

Then using Conductive gloves, place them on the tendons of the muscles and slowly move along the muscle from the distal to the proximal end in the direction of the lymphatic outflow for 3-5 minutes.

Device settings: F-30 Hz, Int-8 or Preset “SubAcute”, Energy – high, but comfortable.

Use spaced electrode (“Pawns”).
Treatment time – 7 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the muscle.

With the uniquely effective pain relief and common injury treatment – SCENAR therapy – most patients recovering from dog walking injuries can look forward to a brief healing period and speedy recovery from the injuries.