Understand how your dog works in 5 minutes!

To understand why we are not strengthening and working on a specific area for a specific problem, we need to understand that we cannot exercise in isolation. Of course, this does not mean that we cannot work shoulder, buttock, left, right, but we need to know that we cannot work one muscle in isolation, say the biceps femoris, but we can work the core muscles and the other buttock and thigh muscles, and even the muscles of the forelimb and the suspensory girdle. That's how complex it all is! The bones of the forelimb are closely connected to the bones of the hind limb (which is why you need physiotherapy for any injury, because everything is connected) the core muscles connect them. It is this fluid and normally unobstructed system that allows the forces from the hind limbs to be transmitted through the core muscles to the forelegs, including the entire chain of muscles in the forelimb. 

For example, we often see planting from sitting, sitting from lying and although the back legs don't seem to be moving, the muscles are working. You might think that the neck is just off, not working, because it is the front legs that are doing the most visible change in position, but the neck is also very much at work, even in a simple sit.

Here, too, we should strive for balance, namaste, and so on

Because everything is interconnected, all the muscle chains are interconnected, it is critical that they are able to work together as a system or network, with no interruptions or obstacles anywhere, as this directly affects biomechanics and movement. Of course, there are muscles that do more of the work than a single movement or form of movement, but treating the body as an integrated unit is inevitable if you want to be successful in sport or have a nice family dog life. Conversely, if a problem occurs, the whole system is only as strong and resilient as its weakest link. This is when overloading and overcompensating begins, and adjacent links become overstretched. 

How do we imagine this in practice?

If for whatever reason one muscle fails to perform its role, or fails to perform its role properly, the surrounding muscles become tight, inadequately dominant and the balance is upset. As imbalances are a precursor to any injury, it is critical to consult a specialist to 'teach' the muscle to work correctly again. 

Summarized:

• the body is a complex system, the different muscle chains are interconnected and work together, if there is a misalignment somewhere, it will be everywhere

• each muscle is in close harmony (strength, tone, stability) with its neighbour

• the core is the "corridor" connecting everything to everything else, absorbing and transforming the forces

• a dysfunctional trunk means dysfunctional limbs

• imbalances in the muscle chains lead to compensation and may require professional help to resolve