Iliopsoas Muscle Strain

Well, it's been a year since my last injury, which was a stretched toe ligament from rabbit chasing at Jericho Beach. Don't worry, the "rabbit" is not Georgie, he's too fat, he can't run. I don't know how to chase something that's behind me.

Anyway, so I have fully recovered from my toe injury after months of having to wear a Thera-Paw boot while I exercise (so I couldn't re-injured it again).


Now, it's time for a new injury! (mum: true to her style....)

I'm not sure if I've told you guys this before, but my mum has a tendency of watching me like a hawk from behind as I walk. She's always checking to see if I'm limping even tho I haven't limped from my elbows or knees in over 4 years. My mum is totally paranoid (mum: because of all your health problems!!!!!), she always thinks there must be something wrong with me.

Anyway, about a month and a half ago, I started getting this soreness from my hind end, I'm not even sure exactly where. It wasn't too sore, I was still able to run around like crazy. Of course, mum was watching me trot from behind one day and she noticed something. She didn't see me limp, but she thought my gait had changed somehow. She said it was not the usual "Sunshade trot" that she knew so well. At first, mum thought she was just being paranoids because her friends watched me walk and thought I was fine. So she let it go...

for a little bit...

However, the more mum watched me walk, the more she was convinced that something was not right. She thought the gait change came from my hind legs, and the only thing that's ever been wrong with my hind legs were my knees. I had two ACL reconstructive surgeries back in 2003, and have fully recovered from them. They've never given me any problems since my surgeries, so mum was really really worried that I might have a torn meniscus or something. She did some range of motion exercise with me, and much to her surprise, my knees felt completely fine. I showed no signs of tenderness. That got mum even more worried because if it weren't my knees, what was it??

Since I was already going to my rehab center 2-3 times a week to swim, mum thought she would book an appointment with my rehab vet Dr. Bowra to have him check me out. Dr. Bowra gave me a full exam, and commented on how well my elbow and knees were doing. He said my bad elbow still had full range of motion like a normal dog, despite what my x-rays say. My knees, well, he said they were perfect, and it's been 4 years since my surgeries.

Dr. Bowra made me stand on some funny pads that told him how much weight I was bearing on each foot. The results: I was bearing more weight with my left front leg, less with my right front leg (bad elbow), but not much difference. I was bearing relatively the same weight in my hind legs, a teeny bit more with my right hind, but barely.

My hips, back, neck, shoulders all were fine. Dr. Bowra watched me trot, and didn't see anything wrong (even tho mum kept on saying that's the WRONG GAIT... she's so embarrassing at times you know?). (mum: *hands over face*...) He agreed with mum that whatever gait change she saw wasn't caused by my knees, but he didn't know what was wrong, or, if there was anything wrong with me at all. Mum finally thought maybe she was just being too paranoid.

I, was just glad I was spared the pain because they didn't find the source.

Just as we were getting to leave, Dr. Bowra gave me a really good rub down all over, and DARN IT!! He found the source alright. I yelped and snapped. I wasn't trying to bite or anything, it was just a natural reflex because it really hurt. Dr. Bowra was rubbing around my groin area, and yea well, that was where I was hurting. Right away Dr. Bowra said "she's got a strained Iliopsoas muscle".

He proceeded to asking mum if I had been doing a lot of top speed, fast turns running because you usually only see this type of injury with racing Greyhounds (just like my toe injury was before!!). (mum: this is so typical of my dogter) Well, yeah, I had had a few HUGE runs with a dog who was taunting me and stole my RING, so I gave it all out to chase him. I mean, it was MY RING!!!!! I played with him a couple more times which all ended up in big chases and mum usually never lets me go all out like that. You have to know, when Miss Sunshade decides to play, she goes ALLL OUT!!! (mum: yes.. way more than any healthy dogs...)

SOOOO,

Dr. Bowra suggested leash walks for at least two weeks, (I can't even swim.... HMMMMPH!), and K Laser Therapy. Yup, laser, red/blue lights shooting out of a tube kinda thing ya know?

Class 4 Laser Therapy has been around for hoomans for a while. In 2005, K Laser - a Class 4 Therapy Laser was FDA approved to be used in Veterinary medicine. For more details on K Laser and its benefits, please visit the following website:

• K laser - a Class IV Therapy Laser

I had my first laser session today, and I will have five more in the following two weeks. Similar to acupuncture, K laser therapy needs to have a kick start - 3 sessions first week, 2 the following week, 1 the last week. Once the body is responding to the therapy, you can use it as needed.

Dr. Bowra took some cool photos of me getting my treatment (you gotta wear protective goggles), I will post pictures once I get them!!