Muscle Knot in Armpit?

[Ottbaxel]

Posting this on a new thread so I don’t keep hijacking other peoples’ posts!

So, my gelding just got his hind feet angles changed with wedges to begin correcting his neutral palmar angles. For the past couple of days, I’ve been doing extra stretching & massaging with the Masterson Method.

A couple of days ago I noticed while doing so that he has a huge muscle knot right in front of where the girth sits, basically in his armpit. He gave a variety of reactions when I was poking and prodding it, ranging from moving away, to lifting that leg up high, and even grabbing the crossties with his teeth and biting down on them. It’s clearly bothering him-this is also the leg that occasionally stumbles at the walk, but it’s always seemed more abrupt when he does it. It’s not a toe catching on the ground, it’s not a proprioception issue, it’s always seemed to be further up the leg. I always figured it was probably something impinging occasionally in his neck and causing pins and needles or something, but I’m wondering now that I’ve found this knot if it’s getting pinched between his elbow and the girth occasionally.

I’m going to check my girth and maybe try my other one on him next time I ride, but unless the saddle is slipping forward a bit, it doesn’t sit where that knot is I don’t think. So what I am trying to understand, is biomechanically what could be causing a knot here. Where is the tension starting for it to accumulate in this spot? Because of his neck issues, I’m assuming it’s related to that but want to be sure.

What are some preferred resources you guys have for something like this? I don’t really know where to begin, or what to google to find this sort of info. And has anyone had this exact thing happen before? What specifically helped fix it the most?

[GraceLikeRain]

Could it be a hematoma and not a muscle knot?

[Ottbaxel]

I did not consider this - I’m not totally sure how to tell? I mean I’m sure to actually diagnose you’d need an ultrasound or something, but not sure what symptoms could point to which. If it were a hematoma, what are the treatment options for that?

I’ve never dealt with that before, so I am pretty clueless! I can see when my vet will be at the barn next to ask her.

[theresak]

It’s not a shoe boil is it?

[Ottbaxel]

@theresak hmm, I didn’t consider this. I’ve never had a horse get a shoe boil before, so I’m not too familiar with them. It’s not on his leg but on his side right behind his leg so I’m not sure whether he could get his shoe near that-but it certainly can’t hurt to try one of those rings.

[GraceLikeRain]

A picture would help

[Ottbaxel]

I’ll try and get one when I’m there tonight! Not sure how easy it is to see on camera - it’s not visibly huge so I didn’t notice it until I started poking and prodding.

[fivestrideline]

There’s a muscle that runs along the body there - they can get tightness/a knot behind the elbow along the girth groove. I’d describe it as a soft “hot dog” lump, and you wouldn’t necessarily see it from a distance or on a hairy horse. If it’s noticeable, it’s likely something else like a shoe boil or hematoma.

My MT taught me to gently massage perpendicular to the lump (so up and down), using really light touch and moving up in pressure as the horse tolerates. Basically cross fiber massage after a gentle lunge or walk. Then to do some gentle stretches (between the legs carrot stretch and encouraging the leg forward by hand - NOT PULLING).

Pics would be clarifying though!

ETA causes: sore feet, change in posture, saddle and girth and blanket fit issues. Basically anything that causes them to restrict through the shoulders.

[Ottbaxel]

this sounds pretty accurate to what it is, @fivestrideline! I’ll try to get pics tonight. I’m not totally sure how long it’s been there, since I haven’t done a full body masterson method routine in quite some time with him.

[Ottbaxel]

Here it is-I know obviously there has to be some skin right there but this feels all knotted, and is way less visible on the other side?