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SPINAL MUSCLE SPASM
The problems associated with spinal muscle spasm, the resultant nerve compression and their effects, are probably the most miss-understood and miss-diagnosed of any of the injuries sustained by the racing greyhound.
The brain via the spinal cord, supplies every muscle and internal organ with the signal to affect normal function, and receives signals back including those in the form of a pain response. Spinal muscle spasm and spinal compression may interfere with those signals.
We worry about wrist joints, hock joints, shoulder joints etc. and yet, counting from the base of the skull and including the very top tail segments, there are about 30 joints in the spine that, if damaged, can seriously interfere with the way a greyhound gallops.
The muscles of the spine are one of the largest and hardest working muscles in the body, and have a considerable effect on how well the greyhound stretches out and how fast it runs.
Carefully examining the spine is just as important as checking the limbs, wrists and toes.
The fact that you can bounce his spine up and down without the dog collapsing in pain means absolutely nothing, when it comes to detecting spinal or spinal muscle damage.
Each spinal segment must be checked individually for soundness and stability, including any referred pain it may be causing.
In fact, referred pain provides a good guide to the location of the problem, and the type of therapy or spinal adjustment that is required to relieve it.
However, simply relieving a spinal muscle spasm does not cure the problem, a muscle spasm indicates damage to the tissue and requires follow up treatment, like any other muscle injury.
I find it rather disconcerting that people who have a “crook back” will go to a Chiropractor for relief, and afterwards will hobble around in pain (sometimes for weeks), and yet expect a greyhound to run like a champion the day after having a spinal problem treated.
A specific spinal spasm across a specific spinal segment or groups of segments will have an effect on a specific muscle or muscle group.
This effect may include: excessive muscle tone, reduced muscle tone, reduced muscle volume (Muscle atrophy) and reduced reflexes.
It may also cause an exaggerated pain response in specific muscles or bone surfaces when they are checked for injuries, (that is, excessive pain in relation to the amount of pressure being placed on the area) and severe pain on flexion or driving pressure on the affected limb.
Severe spinal compression at the LUMBAR segments L4 – 5 may affect bladder control.
Voluntary movement requires control by the brain; a long-standing and severe spinal problem may also cause some uncoordinated movement. However, uncoordinated movement is generally caused by a far more severe problem such as spinal lesions or brain damage.
What I have listed next are the main nerve pathways in the CERVICAL (neck), THORACIC (upper spine – saddle area), LUMBAR (coupling area) and SACRUM (lower back) and the spinal segments that may be affected by compression and muscle spasm, as well as the main muscles that these nerves control and the possible effect on the greyhounds stride.
For the location of the various spinal segments in relation to the greyhound’s structure, see the drawing covering the general BONE STRUCTURE of the greyhound.
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NERVE
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COMPRESSED AT
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AFFECTED MUSCLES
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FUNCTION
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EFFECT ON STRIDE
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Suprascapular
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C6 – C7
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Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
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Extends shoulder
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Slight loss of shoulder extension
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Axillary
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C6, 7, 8
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Deltoid
Teres Major
Teres Minor
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Flexes shoulder
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Decreased shoulder flexion
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Musculocutaneous
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C6, 7, 8
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Biceps
Brachialis
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Flexes elbow
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Decreased elbow flexion
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Radial
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C7 – T1
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Triceps
Extensor Carpi Radialis
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Extends elbow carpus & toes
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Decreased triceps strength
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Median
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C8 – T1
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Flexor Carpi Radialis
Digital Flexor
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Flexes carpus and toes
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Decreased flexion
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Ulnar
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C8 – T1
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Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
Deep Digital Flexor
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Flexes carpus and toes
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Decreased flexion
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Lumbosacral
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L4 - 6
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Quadriceps
Sartorius
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Flexes hip and extends stifle
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Loss of extension
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Obturator
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L4 - 6
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Adductor
Pectineus
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Adducts Pelvis
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Lack of sideways control
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Sciatic
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L6 – S2
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Biceps Femoris
Semimembranosus
Semitendinosus
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Extends hip and flexes stifle
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Decreased flexion of stifle
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Tibial
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L6 – S2
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Gastrocnemius
Popliteus
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Extend hock and flexes toes
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Decreased extension and flexion
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EXAGGERATED PAIN RESPONSE (REFERRED PAIN)
A severe pain response in a muscle or on some bone surfaces without the presence of contributing factors such as bruising, muscle fibre disruption, fluid etc. or an inflammatory reaction on the bone surface generally indicates a sensitised nerve pain response.
The basic explanation is this: the touching sensation is transmitted to the brain along the nerve pathway, picks up pain at the site of the spinal spasm, and registers as pain only.
In fact, a recent and severe muscle injury that includes muscle fibre disruption will exhibit a lower pain response than most sound muscle tissue when squeezed.
Simply because the disruption of muscle fibres also disrupts the nerves that conduct sensations, and the initial release of fluid into the area also contains some natural pain killing substances.
It is not unusual for a greyhound to finish last in a race and to be sent to the track Veterinarian by the stewards for an examination, and to be given “the no apparent injury” by the Veterinarian.
Only to turn up the next day with an obvious injury, such as a torn GRACILIS or a severely damaged SEMITENDINOSUS much to the disgust of the trainer, who then blames the Vet. for not finding the problem on the night.
All I can say is, the Veterinarian never had a chance, fresh injuries like that, unless they fill with fluid immediately are extremely difficult to detect, particularly on a greyhound straight off the track.
This can make checking for injuries extremely difficult, on the one hand you have severe pain response in an area that does not contain an injury (referred pain), on the other hand you may have a severe injury that may provide an extremely low pain response (torn muscle)
A good case for learning to check for injuries by touch rather than by pain response only
EXCESSIVE PAIN IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS MAY BE CAUSED BY A SPINAL MUSCLE SPASM.
Lower part of the CEHALO-HUMERAL (base of the neck), compression to C5/C7
Upper part of the PECTORALIS MAJOR (chest coupling), compression to C6/C7
Lower part of the PECTORALIS MAJOR (chest muscle), compression to C7/T1
DELTOID along the edge of the SPINE OF THE SCAPULA, compression to C7/T1
BICEPS in the body of the muscle, possibly due to compression to C7/T1
Wrist flexion, possibly due to compression to C8/T1
Medial surface of the lower RADIUS, compression to C8/T1
Upper TRAPEZIUS (saddle muscle), compression to T1/T2
In the junction between the LUMBO-DORSAL FACIA and LATISSIMUS DORSI, compression to L3/ L4
In the junction of LUMBO-DORSAL FACIA and the crest of the ILIUM, compression to L5/L7
In the lateral surface of the TIBIA just below the level of the PERFORANS, compression to L4/L5
In the lateral lower surface of the POSTERIOR SARTORIUS, compression to L6/S2
In the lower edge of the GLUTEUS MAXIMUS, compression to L6/S2
In the GASTROCNEMIUS, compression to L6/S2
In the rear of the TARSUS – METATARSUS junction, compression to L6/S2
Pain on fully extending the front leg, possibly due to compression to C7/T3
Pain on fully extending the rear leg, possibly due to compression to L5/S2
All of the above referred pain problems would benefit from spinal adjustment.
However, this is a specialised field, and unfortunately takes a considerable amount of practice and learning.
To simply rotate or twist the neck or spine of the greyhound in the vague hope that it may fix the problem, is dangerous to say the least.
Inexperienced and/or rough treatment, more often than not will cause a spasm in other parts of the spine or neck, or worst-case scenario, damage the spine permanently.
Under no circumstances should any spinal adjustment include sharp forceful downward pressure with the hand, as this may damage the area each side of the spinal segment being forced downward.
It is extremely important that any adjustment to a compressed nerve be done one spinal segment at a time.
Many of the spinal spasm problems of the greyhound would be far better treated and relieved by heat, thorough massage, gently stretching and more massage than by rough or inexperienced manipulations.
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