I've posted pictures of Samantha getting hip massages before. I don't know if you see the look on her face in this picture, but it is just sheer joy and total relaxation. Samantha runs around like a puppy at the park everyday, but as an older dog, (boy can I relate to this) at the end of the day she is sore. (Since she does have a bit of arthritis, her owners are doing exactly the right thing by deliberately keep her weight down.) So she gets a buffered aspirin to make her more comfortable and a 20 minute professional hip massage from me. After the massage, we do what's called an "ice down." This is to cool the muscles and temporarily reduce the blood flow to allow the therapeutic effect of the massage to be maximized. If any of you work out regularly, you know an ice cold shower right afterwards keeps you from having sore muscles. Same principle. Hubby loves all of our guests, but he has a very soft spot in his heart for senior citizens.
