Summary:
Ten Labrador retrievers and their owners undertook a program to determine the effect of passive stretching on the dogs’ osteoarthritic joints, which had a restricted range of motion. The range of motion of the joints was measured before and after the 21-day study, during which the owners performed 10 passive stretches for a hold of 10 seconds twice daily. Goniometric measurements showed that the passive stretching had significantly increased the range of motion of the joints.
Conclusion:
The results show that passive stretching can effectively increase the range of movement of the osteoarthritic joints of labrador retrievers.
Author & Journal:T. Crook, C. McGowan, M. Pead, The Veterinary Record, April 2007