Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How walking on slopes affects dog front leg muscles for rehab
By Cain, Rachel Mariël et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Forelimb muscle activity during level and progressive incline and decline walking in dogs and implications for rehabilitation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with shoulder injuries showed increased muscle activity in their forelimbs when walking downhill on a treadmill. Specifically, the supraspinatus and deltoideus muscles worked harder during decline walking compared to flat walking. This information can help veterinarians create better rehabilitation plans for dogs recovering from shoulder problems. By incorporating decline walking into therapy, dogs may strengthen their shoulder muscles more effectively.
People also search for: dog shoulder injury rehabilitation · exercises for dog shoulder pain · how to help my dog recover from shoulder injury
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Shoulder pathologies are a common reason for presentation to veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation practices. Currently there are no standardized rehabilitation protocols for shoulder injuries but controlled walking, either on flat ground or on inclines/declines, is recommended in nearly every recovery rehabilitation program. The objective of this study was to evaluate the peak and average muscle activity of commonly targeted forelimb muscle groups using fine-wire and surface electromyography (EMG) during treadmill walking at five treadmill positions. Our hypothesis was that the forelimb muscle activity would be significantly higher during decline walking than level walking and significantly lower during incline walking. METHODS: Fine-wire and surface EMG of the supraspinatus, deltoideus, biceps brachii and lateral head of the triceps brachii muscles were performed during treadmill walking at 0, 5% incline, 10% incline, 5% decline, and 10% decline. The average and peak muscle enveloped EMG signals for 10 gait cycles were compared between the treadmill positions. RESULTS: Significant main effects were seen during decline walking for average supraspinatus muscle activity ( < 0.001), and both average and peak deltoideus muscle activity ( = 0.021, < 0.001) respectively. There were no significant differences for peak or average lateral triceps brachii or biceps brachii activity between treadmill positions. CONCLUSION: Decline walking significantly increases muscle activity in the supraspinatus and deltoideus muscles of dogs. This study provides new insights regarding the muscle activity of the thoracic limbs in dogs during various treadmill positions at the walk. The impact of incremental treadmill positions on the average supraspinatus EMG activity, along with increases in the average and peak EMG activity of the deltoideus muscle during decline walking should be considered when developing a therapeutic exercise plan in canine patients with shoulder injuries.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40948624/