And its importance for agility dogs...
 The
term ‘core strength' is a bit of a buzz word in human fitness these days
and, if you've been to a Pilates or yoga class, you may have been instructed by
your teacher to 'engage your core.' We are told it is vital for the prevention
of injuries in sports dogs as well as humans. But do you really know what it
means? Veterinary physiotherapist Eloise
Collins explains.
Agility is an athletic
activity that puts your dog's body through such extremes of range of motion and
often allows little margin for error.
Core muscles act
together to stabilise and support the trunk and spine. They help maintain
correct posture when standing, sitting, walking and jumping. In human sports
performance, core strength is important for postural control and the fine motor
skills needed for landing and turning. We can make an educated assumption that
the same can be said for dogs due to the similarities in mammalian anatomy.
Core stabilisation or strengthening whether it be in humans or
dogs involves exercises designed to improve the strength, flexibility, symmetry
and endurance of the key core muscles-
-
Abdominal
-
transverse
abdominals, abdominal obliques and rectus abdominis
-
Spinal
- multifidus, longissimus and
iliocostalis, among others
-
Pelvic
-
iliopsoas (iliacus and psoas major muscle groups)
When these core muscles are weak, the bigger 'movement' muscles,
tendons, ligaments and other soft tissues have to compensate and act as
stabilisers and this is when injuries occur.
 Core
stability in humans has been shown to reduce athletic injuries, maintain lower
back health and prevent knee ligament injuries.
This is not an exhaustive list of muscles that play a role in
core stabilisation, but I've selected these as they are often thought of as the
key core stabilisers.
Abdominals
The contraction of these muscles is thought to occur at the very
beginning of a movement, stabilising the trunk to prepare for upper limb
activity.
Recruitment of the abdominal muscles facilitates the flexion and
rounding of the back, needed for good self-carriage and jumping.
Strengthening the transverse abdominals has been shown to help
lower back pain in humans.
Spinal muscles
Most of these muscle groups sit either side of, or underneath the
spine to aid stabilisation.
The multifidus is made up of many small overlapping
muscles, each attaching one vertebrae to another. It is thought to be an
important spinal stabiliser and weakness in this muscle has been associated with
lower back pain in both humans and animals.
Furthermore, it has also
been found that even when the source of back pain has been addressed (e.g.
surgery or treatment for intervertebral disc disease), if the multifidus
muscles are not strengthened, the back pain can remain.
 Pelvic
floor muscles
The iliopsoas group starts at the vertebrae of the lower back and
underside of the pelvis and inserts onto the femur. Its function is to flex the
hip and plays a key role in stabilisation and strength of the lumbar spine.
Injury to this muscle is very common in sports dogs, possibly due to repetitive
micro traumas caused by over-extension of the hips whilst jumping, or slipping
when turning.
Core
strength is vital for injury prevention
Agility is an athletic sport that puts the dog's body through extremes of range
of motion and often allows little margin for error.
A strong core means your
dog can collect and extend their stride with ease between jumps and maintain
good
technique whilst jumping. Importantly, it also means that if your dog 'slips',
for example, it has the core muscle strength to pull that leg back in to the
body and avoid an over-stretching injury.
We know from studies
that bar jumps have more injuries associated with them than any other piece of
agility equipment. The jumping motion involves the entire body and requires
power, speed and fine motor control. As the dog prepares to jump, it shifts its
weight onto the hind limbs, descending down into the take-off position. The hind
limbs are then responsible for generating the explosive power, which is
transferred from the hind quarters, through the body and into the front limbs to
create maximum momentum. It is the core muscles that enable this efficient
transfer of energy through the body. If the dog’s core is weak, they will have a
less efficient jump motion, which may result in knocked bars.
The weave poles are possibly the most physically demanding piece
of equipment we ask our dogs to negotiate. Whether your dog adopts the single
leg (paddle) technique or uses both front legs together, the front limbs, trunk,
hind limbs and tail are all moving in different directions. Small and Medium
dogs may find weaves less of a challenge as their shorter bodies mean they don’t
have to bend around multiple poles simultaneously. Larger dogs however, are
required to do this and need shoulder strength and stability, flexibility
through the spine and powerful hind limb muscles to drive from behind. As with
jumping, it is the core muscles that ensure co-ordinated movement from front to
back.
 Core
exercises
Core exercises can be started from any age. Very young (under 6 months) and
very old dogs, can have poor core strength so they must be introduced to
exercises slowly. These will often be in the form of floor-based exercises such
as single leg lifts, giving paw or sit-to-stand sequences.
Adult dogs, even if fit,
can still have a weak core. You may notice them knocking poles, unable to
achieve tighter wing wraps or struggling with co-ordination in the weaves. These
dogs will also start with foundation floor exercises but can usually progress
quicker to using unstable equipment such as wobble cushions and then peanut
balls.
It is vital that canine
fitness equipment is only used by those who have had training in its safe and
proper use. Before starting any new exercise regime with your dog, you should
consult your vet and/or veterinary physiotherapist to rule out any underlying
issues.
Core exercises can be started with dogs of any age and just five
minutes a day can massively benefit your dog's fitness. It is also a great,
enjoyable way to interact with your dog and help build the foundations for a
winning team!
About the author...
Eloise Collins BSc(Hons) RVN, PgD Vet Phys, MNAVP is a veterinary
physiotherapist with a special interest in canine sports performance, injury
prevention and rehabilitation. She graduated from Harper Adams University with a
postgraduate diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy. She is also a qualified
veterinary nurse, with over ten years' experience working with dogs and horses.
Eloise previously
competed in agility with her Border Collies, but she is now training her young
Working Cocker Spaniel.
She runs EC Veterinary
Physiotherapy, a mobile physiotherapy service treating dogs and horses in
Hampshire, Surrey and surrounding areas.
For more information, go to
www.ECvetphysiotherapy.com
First published 5th March 2021
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