Winter has been crazy down here in the Southeast. Rain, rain, rain, snow, ice, rain, rain, rain and on it went. It has made getting onto a trail on the weekend with Stetson nearly impossible. Adding to the weather problems, I have been working through living with ongoing hamstring issues. The hamstring problems seem to be resolving with the addition of insoles that have been molded to my feet in new stability runners. But then again, there's the weather to contend with still...
Three weeks ago I took the dogs for chiropractic adjustments. I knew Maddie was weak in her rear end and needed some assistance, but I honestly didn't see anything odd about Stetson's gait. The main point in making the appointment was to get Maddie some treatment as we were leaving the following week for vacation in Colorado. When I got the call from Diane and she said "I'm kind of worried about your boy" I won't deny panic grabbed my gut. She detected a strained IllioPsoas on his left side. Although it wasn't severe she recommended we attack it with four laser treatments and rest and massage for two weeks. He responded really well to the protocol and by the third day I wasn't detecting any extra tension on his left side compared to his right.
I was advised the only performance activity we could do was heeling. But we were to use a warm compress before hand and ice afterward. And so we went. Warm compress for 5 minutes, heeling without figure eights or about turns (my concern that the tight nature of direction changes would not be good for him) for 15 minutes maximum followed by icing 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off repeated 3 times afterward. He was a really good patient for me and we managed to get through a week before Dave and I left for vacation in Colorado.
After our return, we scheduled a follow-up with Diane and she released him from restrictions. So today was our day to run for the first time in a while! And run we did!
I chose to run at the river today because the surface is very accommodating to tired or unused legs and I thought that he would benefit from being brought slowly back up to his previous level of performance. I really was errant in my expectation that he'd need to re-condition. He took the trail as if he'd never been off a week.
I live with IllioPsoas tensions myself. My chiropractor almost always has to work on me when I receive maintenance adjustments. It is a very common problem with runners, especially among those of us who are slightly "aged". Fortunately, our Veterinarian and Canine Chiropractor has a large clientele of performance dogs and she is heavily involved in her own dogs careers in performance events. If she hadn't detected the problem when she did, he may have ended up with damage that can't be effectively managed. This used to be a common "retirement" prognosis for dogs who were beyond a strained status.
Three weeks ago I took the dogs for chiropractic adjustments. I knew Maddie was weak in her rear end and needed some assistance, but I honestly didn't see anything odd about Stetson's gait. The main point in making the appointment was to get Maddie some treatment as we were leaving the following week for vacation in Colorado. When I got the call from Diane and she said "I'm kind of worried about your boy" I won't deny panic grabbed my gut. She detected a strained IllioPsoas on his left side. Although it wasn't severe she recommended we attack it with four laser treatments and rest and massage for two weeks. He responded really well to the protocol and by the third day I wasn't detecting any extra tension on his left side compared to his right.
I was advised the only performance activity we could do was heeling. But we were to use a warm compress before hand and ice afterward. And so we went. Warm compress for 5 minutes, heeling without figure eights or about turns (my concern that the tight nature of direction changes would not be good for him) for 15 minutes maximum followed by icing 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off repeated 3 times afterward. He was a really good patient for me and we managed to get through a week before Dave and I left for vacation in Colorado.
After our return, we scheduled a follow-up with Diane and she released him from restrictions. So today was our day to run for the first time in a while! And run we did!
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| As soon as I pulled into the lot at the river, he sat up - he knew where he was. |
I chose to run at the river today because the surface is very accommodating to tired or unused legs and I thought that he would benefit from being brought slowly back up to his previous level of performance. I really was errant in my expectation that he'd need to re-condition. He took the trail as if he'd never been off a week.
I completely lose myself in our runs. I turn everything off in my brain except for the moment and his presence.
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| Ready to go |
I live with IllioPsoas tensions myself. My chiropractor almost always has to work on me when I receive maintenance adjustments. It is a very common problem with runners, especially among those of us who are slightly "aged". Fortunately, our Veterinarian and Canine Chiropractor has a large clientele of performance dogs and she is heavily involved in her own dogs careers in performance events. If she hadn't detected the problem when she did, he may have ended up with damage that can't be effectively managed. This used to be a common "retirement" prognosis for dogs who were beyond a strained status.
We are doing some of the same things that I do for myself; targeted stretching, massage and strength training. and rear end awareness routines such as ladder work, pivoting, crawling, sitting pretty on his back end...
I'm very glad to have my boy out with me for a run today. It seemed so perfect to be at the river on a day when few others were.
He is my partner. I am his guardian. I am so grateful that we are together.
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| Waiting patiently for his snack and water after a delightful 5k this morning |
He is my partner. I am his guardian. I am so grateful that we are together.
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