Understanding Fascia: Its Impact on You and Your Pet

Fascia is a type of connective tissue that envelops the body's muscles, extending seamlessly from head to toe. Nerves and blood vessels traverse the fascia as they travel from the spinal cord and heart to various parts of the body. This tissue is not visible on scans or x-rays and is frequently overlooked. Factors such as trauma, posture, and inflammation can exert excessive pressure on the fascia, leading to pain, restricted movement, and reduced blood flow.

Fascial pain and restrictions affect both animals and humans. Fortunately, several mostly painless modalities and options can enhance fascia movement and alleviate pain. At Pawsitive Steps, we combine dry needling with myofascial release (MRF), specifically John F. Barnes' Myofascial Release Approach. For dry needling, we employ both homeostatic and trigger point techniques to achieve optimal results. In humans, needles are typically left in place for about 10 minutes. Animals, however, tend to respond more quickly and effectively than humans, so based on the animal's response, we may either briefly poke or leave the needles in for a few minutes. The dry needling accelerates results by enhancing blood flow to the area and "breaking up the fascial restriction." We then apply gentle, sustained pressure to further increase movement and blood flow to the area.

Here are some examples of the pets we have treated:

Bella was brought in with suspected IVDD, experiencing mild neurological deficits and starting to show some weakness. She was moving more slowly and occasionally dragging her feet. The initial treatment involved MFR. Bella, who had been a very anxious dog, was held by her owner. During the MFR session, Bella relaxed and nearly fell asleep in her owner's arms. Once the treatment was completed, she immediately started sprinting across the room. We performed one additional MFR treatment on Bella and are pleased to report that she has returned to her normal self.

Colby initially came in for a psoas injury but was found to have a very stiff back and medial patella luxation. During the initial assessment, he exhibited significant back pain, flinching when touched along the spine. We started with dry needling followed by MFR. Colby transitioned from being anxious to lying down and relaxing during the treatment. After MFR, the back pain stopped, with no more flinching. He returned a week later with much milder back pain, which we are still addressing, but he seems to be moving better after just one treatment.

We also treat some humans who have experienced enhanced mobility or alleviation of symptoms like dizziness and headaches, along with reduced back pain. We refer to this as our "better together program," where we provide treatment for both the dog and the owner. Contact us today to see how we can help your pet (and/or yourself)!