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Play, download and edit the free video Hot Rod: TheraBand Isometric Adduction.

"TheraBand Isometric Adduction"
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

The "adductors" are a group of muscles that play a HUGELY important role in spine, hip, and stifle stability. This muscular chain begins on the ventral aspect of the lumbar spine with the iliopsoas, runs along the inner parts of the pelvis with the sartorius and gracilis and attach down the femur to the medial aspect of the tibia with the semitendinosus.

Activating this chain can take some creativity due to their location, and how a quadruped used them to stabilize against forces (isometric) vs doing an actual movement (concentric/eccentric). This is where the TheraBand can be helpful.

This exercise was suggested to us by a rehab professional, as a way to help stabilize the "pivot shift" Hot Rod has developed as a result of her TPLO. But it's actually a great exercise to target the adductors in general.

Because many of the adductors are also hip flexors (muscles usually have a primary action as well as a secondary and tertiary action),the specific line of pull applied to the TheraBand, will target different muscles. 45° caudal/lateral (toward the tail and away from the midline) generally produces the most significant engagement of the adductors.

Using my hand to palpate the inner leg, I applied tension to a flat (not twisted) TB seated high up on the femur, at the 45° vector, with just enough tension to feel the adductors change tension from flaccid to engaged/firm. Hold for a period of time (3-10 seconds). Release the pressure slowly feeling the musculature soften slightly. Reward the dog.

This is repeated several times per set (3-10) and for several sets (3-5), with rest (or a different exercise) in between.

This is a complex exercise which requires a dog be fluent in many component pieces. The prerequisite exercises would be...
1) Square Stand with all 4 feet still
2) Stand with Front feet elevated
3) Allowing feet to be manually repositioned
4) Using a bridge/marker between behavior and reward (there are not enough hands to stretch the TB, palpate, and reward simultaneously)
5) Rear feet on a narrow target
6) Front feet on individual targets

The component pieces would all be considered a "regression" of this exercise, as would the assembled exercise minus the front feet elevated.

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