A Loyal Friend Canine Massage

11/06/2026

11/06/2026

🐾 Is Your Dog in Pain? 🐾

No one can truly rule out another being’s pain.
Not me. Not you. Not a doctor. Not even a vet.

This is especially true when it comes to our dogs.

Dogs often express pain in subtle and complex ways—it is not always obvious like limping or crying. Pain can present as changes in behaviour long before physical signs are noticed.

Common signs may include:

• Behavioural changes
• Reactivity or increased sensitivity
• Avoidance or reluctance to be touched
• Withdrawal, irritability, or low mood
• Difficulty settling or resting comfortably
• Growling, snapping, or resistance when handled

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

⚠️ Behavioural issues and reactivity should never be dismissed without considering pain first.

Chronic musculoskeletal discomfort is often an underlying cause and can significantly affect your dog’s wellbeing, mobility, and quality of life.

If you are concerned your dog may be in pain, your first step should always be a veterinary examination to rule out underlying medical conditions.

At East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies, I offer professional musculoskeletal pain assessments from my clinic

If you would like to discuss your dog’s mobility, comfort, or book a musculoskeletal pain assessment, please get in touch ⬇️

I’m here to help.

Lisa
Canine Musculoskeletal & CAM Veterinary Pain Practitioner

📧 [email protected]
📞 07418 082 240

📚 References
• Mills et al. (2020). Pain and problem behaviour in cats and dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior
• Mathews (2008). Pain assessment and general approach to management. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice
• Stasiak et al. (2003). Development of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale. Research in Veterinary Science
• Mills & Luescher (2006). Veterinary Behavioural Medicine. Saunders Elsevier

11/06/2026

🌟Canine Massage and Conditioning 🌟

The show season is well under way, and whether your dog is a newbie or veteran, massage and conditioning can help your dog on its path to becoming a champion!

Massage:
✅Increases range of motion
✅ Reduces muscle tension
✅ Treats minor soft tissues injuries such as adhesions and knots
✅ Reduces DOMS and anxiety/stress

Conditioning:
💪 Increases muscle strength
💪 Enhances proprioception and coordination
💪 Builds flexibility
💪 Improves balance

Together, canine conditioning and massage therapy can help improve your dog’s performance, speed and recovery, whilst helping to reduce their risk of injury.

A new block of conditioning classes will begin soon, on a Monday in Pencoed. All dogs can benefit: competing dogs, those recovering from injury or even puppies.

Message me for more information 🐕

11/06/2026

🖐️ Why My Hands Will Always Be My Most Important Treatment Tool

As a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist and Myofascial Release Practitioner, I often say that my hands are my most valuable tools.

In a profession where we spend years refining our palpation skills, learning to feel subtle changes within tissues, and developing the sensitivity required to perform advanced soft tissue techniques, our hands become far more than simply instruments of treatment—they become instruments of assessment, communication, and connection.

Even after years of study and clinical practice, I still consider myself a student. Soft tissue therapy, particularly myofascial release, is a complex and highly skilled discipline that requires continual learning, refinement, and experience.

🐾 The Science of Touch

The human hand is remarkably sophisticated. Research has shown that specialised sensory receptors within the skin, including Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles, Ruffini endings, and Pacinian corpuscles, allow therapists to detect subtle variations in tissue texture, tension, temperature, movement, and pressure (Abraira & Ginty, 2013).

These sensory inputs help skilled therapists identify changes within muscles and fascia that may indicate pain, restriction, compensation patterns, inflammation, or altered movement.

When I place my hands on a dog, I am constantly gathering information:

✔ Tissue temperature

✔ Muscle tone and tension

✔ Fascial restrictions

✔ Areas of discomfort

✔ Protective guarding patterns

✔ The dog’s behavioural and physical responses

This immediate feedback allows treatment to be adapted moment by moment according to what the dog’s body is communicating.

💚 More Than Just Hands

Although we often talk about “hands-on therapy,” skilled bodywork involves much more than simply using our palms.

Different structures of the hand and forearm allow us to influence tissues in different ways and depths.

I may use:

• My fingertips for detailed palpation and assessment

• My thumbs for focused trigger point work

• My palms for broad therapeutic contact

• The thenar eminence (the muscular pad at the base of the thumb) for comfortable sustained pressure

• The hypothenar eminence (the muscular pad on the little finger side of the hand) for broader fascial techniques

• The ulnar border of the hand for specific soft tissue mobilisation

• My forearms to apply gentle, broad pressure across larger muscle groups and fascial planes

Using different contact surfaces enables variation in pressure, depth, direction, and sensory input while maintaining a comfortable and reassuring connection for the dog.

For larger dogs in particular, forearm techniques often allow deeper tissues to be engaged more effectively while reducing focal pressure and creating a calmer, more sustained therapeutic contact.

🌿 Why Connection Matters

One of the greatest advantages of manual therapy is the ability to develop a continuous dialogue with the patient’s body.

Unlike machines, my hands allow me to feel how tissues respond in real time. I can detect subtle releases, identify protective muscle guarding, monitor discomfort levels, and observe changes as they occur during treatment.

Research has demonstrated that therapeutic touch can influence both physiological and neurological responses, helping to reduce sympathetic nervous system activity, improve relaxation, and support pain modulation (Field, 2016).

For many dogs, this physical connection becomes an important part of the rehabilitation process.

References

Abraira VE & Ginty DD (2013). The sensory neurons of touch. Neuron, 79(4), 618–639.

Field T (2016). Massage therapy research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24, 19–31.

03/06/2026

This is awful but I need to post it as there are scammers and mis-selling you need to be aware of as a dog owner or someone looking to train in canine therapies so I’m putting it up here

It has come to my attention that there are individuals, some who are even trainers and others in other canine therapies misrepresenting their training credentials including claiming to have completed CPD with me at Canine Massage Therapy Centre when they have not.

They have come along to a Beginners Guide to Canine Massage self-interest course. This is NOT CPD let’s get that straight.

Claiming you have done professional level Continuing Professional Development courses with me is different to claiming your beginners guide hours as CPD hours, you know it, I know it and I will ensure that anyone approaching me about hydro/physical training PT/physio/massage courses does so as well when my name is mentioned.

Also beware of people selling you massage qualifications who claim they provide MLD and Facilitated Stretching, they have scrolled down my page and picked out some of my CPD titles and gone on to write a ‘qualification’ in canine massage that includes things that sounds good that they have no idea about, but because they carry a ‘therapist’ and ‘trainer’ title, they think people will just accept this.

Well people have noticed.

This industry is in tatters because you have people jumping on the canine therapies bandwagon and offering bu****it courses.

Some of which are even backed.

Yes I know disgusting isn’t it that there are those willing to risk the future careers of others, take their money waste their time and put the dogs at risk who they will be working with as well as disrespect the vets who consent and refer and other paraprofessionals we work with.

I want to be absolutely clear:

✅ CPD courses are advanced and can only be taken with me after you have completed the 2 Year Clinical course with Canine Massage Therapy Centre AND are a member of the Canine Massage Guild

❌ Attending a one-day public workshop with me does not constitute professional training or claims such as ‘I've done CPD with Natalie Lenton’ to get people to sign up to your course.

These people ask me and I will inform them you have not trained with me and that this is classed as mis-selling or scamming.

I haven’t busted my balls for nearly 20 years in this industry for charlatans to use the reputation of my name, courses and company and name to earn a quick buck.

✅ Only verified Canine Massage Guild members hold the Clinical Canine Massage qualification and the professional standing that comes with it and have trained in the Lenton Method

❌ Attending a one-day public workshop does not constitute professional training with me, and does not entitle anyone to claim affiliation with the Guild, my methods, or my CPD programme.

If you are a dog owner or referring vet looking for a genuinely qualified therapist, please use the Canine Massage Guild Register directory to verify credentials.

Thats why its there to protect dogs, owners and consenting or referring vets

If you are a practitioner and have seen misleading claims of this kind, I would encourage you to report them directly to our office.

The integrity of this profession matters as does the welfare of the dogs we work with.

22/05/2026

A strong core isn’t just about fitness — it’s the foundation of how your dog moves.
Your dog’s core muscles stabilise the spine, support posture, and allow the limbs to move efficiently. When the core is weak, the body compensates, which can lead to poor movement patterns, overload on joints, and a higher risk of injury.
Research from the University of Tennessee (Henderson, 2014) looked at military working dogs with lumbosacral pain and found something really interesting: dogs with back pain had smaller, weaker and asymetrical spinal stabilising muscles, particularly the multifidus.
After just 8 weeks of targeted core conditioning, those dogs showed:
🐾 Increased spinal muscle size
🐾 Improved muscle symmetry
🐾 Reduced pain
🐾 Better working performance
In other words, strengthening the core didn’t just improve fitness — it improved function and resilience.
Whether your dog is a sport dog, working dog, or simply an active companion, core conditioning plays a huge role in maintaining healthy posture, efficient movement, and long-term soundness.
Because when the core is strong, the whole body works better.
Emma Overend
Owner, Canine Conditioning

Learn how to correctly condition your dog with the Canine Conditioning Academy

Key Study: Core Strengthening in Dogs
Overview of Evidence
Research in canine rehabilitation increasingly shows that core stabilisation exercises improve spinal muscle function, reduce pain, and enhance working performance in dogs. Studies using imaging (CT, MRI) demonstrate that dogs with spinal pain often have atrophy or asymmetry of deep spinal stabilizers, especially the multifidus and longissimus muscles.
Core conditioning programs — similar to those used in human physiotherapy — can restore muscle size and symmetry, which improves spinal stability and function. Henderson’s 2014 study is one of the first controlled investigations demonstrating measurable muscle changes after a core exercise program in dogs.
Main Paper
Henderson, A. L. (2014). Effect of a Core Conditioning Program on Lumbar Paraspinal Area, Asymmetry and Pain Score in Military Working Dogs with Lumbosacral Pain. University of Tennessee Graduate School.
PDF: https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4154&context=utk_gradthes
Repository: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3155/
Study Design
Subjects:
8 military working dogs with mild lumbosacral pain
8 healthy control dogs
Measurements
CT scans of spinal muscles
Pain scoring (Visual Analog Scale)
Functional performance questionnaires
Muscle cross-sectional area and symmetry
Muscles analyzed
Multifidus lumborum
Longissimus lumborum
Quadratus lumborum
Intervention
8-week core stabilisation exercise program
Dogs were divided into:
Exercise group
Rest-only group
Major Findings
1. Dogs with back pain had weaker core muscles
Compared to healthy dogs, affected dogs showed:
Smaller multifidus muscle cross-sectional area
Reduced muscle density
Greater asymmetry
These findings suggest spinal instability due to deep muscle weakness.
2. Core exercises reversed muscle atrophy
After 8 weeks of core training, dogs showed:
Significant increase in multifidus cross-sectional area
Improved muscle symmetry
Increased muscle density
3. Functional performance improved
Working dogs in the exercise group had:
Lower pain scores
Better search and detection performance
Improved working ability
Dogs that only rested did not improve significantly.
Key Scientific Conclusion
Core stabilisation exercises can improve spinal muscle morphology and functional performance in dogs with lumbo-sacral pain.
This supports the use of canine conditioning programs in:
working dogs
sporting dogs
rehabilitation after spinal injury

Related Research Supporting This Study
Cain, B., Jones, J. C., Holásková, I., & Freeman, L. (2016). Feasibility for measuring transverse area ratios and asymmetry of lumbosacral region paraspinal muscles in working dogs using CT. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2016.00034
Spinella, G., Bettella, P., Riccio, B., & Okonji, S. (2022). Overview of neurological diseases in dogs with focus on rehabilitation. Veterinary Sciences. https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/8/429
Gruenenfelder, F. I., Boos, A., & Mouwen, M. (2006). Evaluation of physical therapy exercises for mobilization of lumbar spinal nerves in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research.
Boström, A. (2018). Evaluation of epaxial muscle structure in dogs with spinal disease. University of Helsinki.
Rowland, K. L. (2017). Muscle area ratios in military working dogs using CT. Clemson University.
Pedersen, A. (2023). Veterinary rehabilitation and spinal muscle function in dogs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica.
Cappucci-Lorentz, D., Meyer, K., & Goldberg, M. (2018). Working dogs: exercise, conditioning and physical rehabilitation. CABI.
Edge-Hughes, L. (2007). Conservative management of thoracolumbar IVDD in dogs. CHAP Newsletter.

22/05/2026

🟢 Does Obesity Really Cause Pain in Dogs? 🟢

The scientific evidence is clear: obesity, osteoarthritis (OA), chronic pain, and systemic inflammation are deeply interconnected.

Many people think excess weight simply means “extra load” on the joints — and whilst increased mechanical stress absolutely plays a role, the relationship is far more complex than this.

Fat tissue is not just passive storage. Adipose tissue is biologically active and produces inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and adipokines, which contribute to chronic inflammation throughout the body.

🟢 Fat cells produce hormones such as leptin, which can increase inflammation within joints and may influence the bone changes associated with osteoarthritis.

🟢 Chronic inflammation can also interfere with hormones such as cortisol and insulin, further disrupting the body’s ability to regulate pain and inflammation.

This means obesity doesn’t just affect mobility — it can directly contribute to pain pathways and disease progression.

🟢 Why does your dog’s weight matter?

Excess body weight:
• Increases pressure on joints, heart and lungs
• Accelerates osteoarthritis and joint degeneration
• Contributes to chronic pain and reduced mobility
• Increases the risk of diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, urinary disease and some cancers

According to the Canine Arthritis Management, around 63% of dogs are overweight, and many owners do not realise their dog is carrying excess weight.

🟢 The good news? Weight management can make a huge difference.

Research shows:
• Keeping dogs lean may increase lifespan by up to TWO years
• A 25% restriction in food intake increased median lifespan and delayed chronic disease onset in Labrador Retrievers
(J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002;220:1315–1320)

• An 8% body weight reduction improved lameness in osteoarthritic dogs
(Vet Res Commun. 2010;34(3):241–253)

Weight management and nutritional support remain some of the most cost-effective and impactful tools in veterinary pain management.

Combined with early recognition and treatment of pain, maintaining a lean, healthy body condition can dramatically improve your dog’s comfort, mobility and quality of life.

If you are concerned about your dog’s weight, mobility or signs of discomfort, speak to your veterinary team for guidance and support or alternatively book into one of my weight management clinics

https://www.emccm.co.uk/copy-of-projects-2 -mjpxp8ku5