When dealing with a dog's arthritis, pain relief is a major goal, since there is no cure for the condition. Pain relief may be achieved through conventional pharmaceuticals or through alternative therapies such as nutraceuticals and bowen therapy / acupuncture. Nutraceuticals, such as glucosamine, work to improve the functioning of the joints and, in so doing, also relieve pain. Because of the side effects associated with some drugs, many people choose to have their arthritic dogs treated with alternative therapies. Glucosamine and chondroitin, for example, have no known side effects.

AMRT (Animal Muscle Release Therapy) can be an effective alternative therapy for relieving the pain of arthritis and to increase joint mobility.

AMRT (Muscle Release, Acupuncture, Laser, Osteopathic techniques) can be beneficial in cases in which analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications have been ineffective or have demonstrated side effects, and surgery not recommended. It provides long-term pain relief and also increases circulation to the affected areas and decreases inflammation

Trigger points are areas of increased sensitivity within a muscle which may be related to joint pathology, visceral pathology and nervous system pathology. There are local tender spots located in a band of skeletal muscle that produce pain on compression, felt locally but can also evoke pain in a referred pattern (Travell and Simons 1993). They may be associated with pain or lameness.

Factors such as arthritis, trauma, stress, post-operative status and infection may predispose to the development of trigger points in animals (Schoen 2001). They may cause a reduction in range of motion and as in humans, may be co-localised with therapies such as AMRT Therapy. The use of AMRT to release trigger points may be beneficial in pain management.