Author: Emma McCluskey, RVN, DipAVN, BSc (Hons), MSc

ABSTRACT Canine osteoarthritis causes chronic pain, reduced mobility and a poorer quality of life for dogs, so effective management is important. Massage therapy appears to offer a non-invasive way to reduce pain by easing muscle tension, improving circulation, increasing joint flexibility, supporting relaxation and targeting myofascial trigger points. Studies report improvements in pain scores, mobility, range of motion and wellbeing when massage is used alone or alongside conventional treatment. Evidence also suggests that combining massage with other physiotherapy approaches, such as acupuncture or exercise, may further improve comfort and function. However, the strength of the evidence is limited by small sample sizes, reliance on owner-reported outcomes and inconsistent pain measurement methods. Objective tools such as gait analysis, together with more standardised assessment scales, would help strengthen future findings. Overall, massage therapy shows promise as a supportive treatment for managing pain in dogs with osteoarthritis and may contribute to better clinical outcomes and welfare.
Keywords canine, dogs, osteoarthritis, OA, pain management, wellbeing, quality of life, massage, manual therapy, physiotherapy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56496/XQXD5527

To cite this article: McClusky, E. (2026) The effectiveness of massage in reducing pain in canine osteoarthritis: A literature review. VNJ 41(4) pp48-52.

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