Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lower back pain linked to urinary leaking in dogs and new treatment
By David M. Lane & Sarah A. Hill·Published in Open Veterinary Journal·2022·Points East West Veterinary Services, Box 2696, Garibaldi Highlands, British Columbia, V0N 1T0, Canada, LY·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: The relationship between urethral sphincter mechanism incompetency and lower back pain: positing a novel treatment for urinary incontinence in dogs
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with urinary incontinence, which is when they can't control their urination, were also found to have lower back pain. They received treatment that included acupuncture, manual therapy, and sometimes light therapy. After the treatment, many of the dogs showed a significant decrease in how often they had accidents and how much they urinated. Some dogs even completely stopped having issues with incontinence. This suggests that treating lower back pain may help improve urinary problems in dogs.
People also search for: dog urinary incontinence treatment · dog back pain symptoms · acupuncture for dog incontinence · dog light therapy for urinary issues
Abstract
Background: In humans, multiple researchers have not only determined that there is a relationship between urinary incontinence and lower back pain, but that by treating the lower back pain, clinicians are able to improve or resolve the urinary incontinence. To date, no equivalent canine research has investigated whether treatment of lower back pain can improve the clinical signs of acquired, non-neurologic urinary incontinence in dogs. Aim: To determine if a relationship exists between lower back pain (LBP) and urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI) in dogs. Methods: Review of medical records of all patients that presented to Points East West Veterinary Services with a history of naturally occurring acquired urinary incontinence from May 2013 to December 2019. Thirty-nine patients treated for LBP using combined acupuncture and manual therapy, and 33/39 patients that also received concurrent photobiomodulation therapy, qualified for this study. Results: Treated patients showed a statistically significant reduction in both the frequency (p<.01) and volume (p<.01) of urinary incontinence episodes. Treatment responses ranged from no improvement, to complete resolution of the USMI clinical signs. Conclusion: The reduction of USMI clinical signs following LBP treatment suggests a relationship between these two conditions. Combined acupuncture, manual therapy, with or without photobiomodulation was shown to be an effective treatment for USMI. By corollary, USMI incontinence should be considered a potential pain symptom.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.5455/OVJ.2022.v12.i1.13