Tag Archives: posture

Care of Your Equine Athlete

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People often make comments to me like “You must have really strong hands” or “Your arms must have big muscles”, but Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Stress Point Therapy are all fairly gentle practices. Accuracy, through knowledge of anatomy, reduces the need for brute strength.  The massage is deep, with firm pressure, stimulating endorphins, and the horse often helps me by leaning into my hands.

Trigger Point therapy targets areas of stress where muscle attaches to bone. The treatment specifically targets areas of constriction that refer pain signals to other parts of the body. Myofascial release is related to trigger point therapy, but focuses on tightness , or other disorders afflicting the fascia, a membrane that surrounds the muscles and may restrict their motion.  What makes my work so exciting is that I can switch methods as I move around the horse, using what is needed for each area of the body. 

All animals need to have their bodies in balance to live long and active lives. For show horses it makes the difference between winning and being withdrawn from the competition Tight muscles can affect  posture, and poor posture can cause spinal misalignments. The reverse is also true — spinal alignments can lead to muscle strain. 

Massage therapy should also be part of the process of rehabilitating from injuries, regaining lost range of motion, or coping with chronic pain conditions.  Body work for your horse can produce dramatic results in a short period of time: one of the many reasons it is so exciting for me to go to work!

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Releasing Trigger Points

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Trigger points are tight spots within the muscle (not at the ends or attachments as in stress points) that cause pain, sensitivity, tingling, burning, or weakness.  Trigger point therapy causes the muscle to have a twitch response, which resets and relaxes the muscle. This can be uncomfortable for a moment, but the results are worth it. Reduction or elimination of pain and improved range of motion can be seen and felt immediately.

Another way to release trigger points is through myofascial release. Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Fascia has multiple functions. It holds some structures together, providing stability.  It allows others to glide and move freely.

Trigger points can be caused by scar tissue, strain from repetitive movement, bad posture, poor nutrition, or injury. The most effective way to remove trigger points is through manual pressure. When the trigger point is released, the fascia will once again move smoothly over the muscle, pain will be reduced or eliminated, and range of motion will be increased.

Cold laser therapy can also relieve muscle pain caused by trigger points, and improve circulation.

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Improve Range of Motion and Reduce Pain

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No body has to live in pain from injury, arthritis, back pain, sciatica. That sounds like a radical statement but there are many therapies to address chronic pain.  Myofascial Release is a soft tissue therapy designed to change and improve the health of the fascia. Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the body.

Fascia literally holds us together.  When we encounter fascial and muscle dysfunction, the result is usually pain and discomfort, loss of range of motion in our bodies ,and a subsequent loss of well-being and quality of life.

When the fascia gets bunched, similar to plastic Saran wrap for example, it can bind down on nerves, blood vessels and organs and thus cause restriction and pain.

Because the fascia cannot be detected on X-ray, CT ,or MRI ,scans it is often the reason for unidentified discomfort.

Myofascial Release breaks down scar tissue, relaxes muscles, and restores good posture. It is used with great success to target chronic pain, sometimes in only a few sessions. I have been working on many horses lately that have been recovering from injuries. In just a few sessions, we are seeing  better joint flexibility and range of motion. Instead of an angular, disjointed profile, the body has a harmonious, flowing appearance.

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Why Trigger Points Are Trouble!

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Sore muscles usually feel better after a day or two of rest. But if you or your horse has persistent muscle pain — particularly in the neck, shoulders, hamstrings or back — and you literally can put your finger on the spot where it originates, you may be dealing with a trigger point. Trigger points exist in tight bands of muscle or tendon tissue and will twitch when pressed. Trigger points are something traditional doctors ignore, but they should not be overlooked as a source of pain, discomfort, or restricted movement.

Trigger points are tight knots of muscle fiber that can’t relax. Muscle often feels denser and tighter at a trigger point — more rope-like. When you push on it, pain spreads throughout the muscle area. Good posture and body mechanics can help prevent trigger points from forming, but every body will experience them at some point.

Myofascial Trigger Point therapy is a safe, effective ,and drug-free way for massage therapists to help animals or humans suffering from pain and limited range of motion.

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Restoring Harmony to the Equine Body

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When there is an imbalance in the  alignment of the body, the result is aches and pains.  The pains lead to a learned response from muscles to try and avoid the discomfort, further distorting the body.  When I watch a horse walk, I look for all the clues that show which muscles are tight and causing asymmetry . The massage I do works to lengthen the overly tight muscles, and to help the extended muscles to contract in order to bring the two sides of the horse into balance.

Any repetitive motion creates muscle and tissue shortening. Eventually the torso becomes crooked, which creates restrictions and pain. What I do is a number of techniques to release muscle shortening , spasms ,and adhesions that may have occurred as a result of injury. To lengthen tissue, to restore length of motion, is my goal with each equine athlete.

Many people give their horse time off when it shows signs of muscle soreness or tension. Rest is important, but if there are knots in the muscle fibers, they will still be there no matter how much rest the horse has. Those knots have to be manually removed. You will see the results immediately, as your horse moves with a new fluidity.

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Massage for Pain Relief and More

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Bodies are designed to move. In modern Western society, humans and animals spend much of their time in the same static position. Horses stand in stalls or paddocks. Humans sit at desks or in cars. Children sit at desks in school.

Movement or exercise raises the level of endorphins (natural painkillers) and reduces inflammation in the body. Working muscles improves circulation and removes toxins from tissues.

Often pain will make an animal or person fearful of moving their bodies. But without movement, the body won’t get better. There is a difference between the achy soreness that is felt after a workout to get back in shape, and pain. Some soreness is normal and healthy when rebuilding muscles. Owners, trainers, and riders need to be very tuned in to their horses to protect them from re-injury.

The healing power of massage is so apparent that just about every culture in history has used massage to relieve pain. Massage faded into the background with the arrival of modern medicine, but is on the rise as a valuable tool. Massage may also change the way the brain senses pain. As Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has said, sensations of a good massage can temporarily make the brain forget about other aches. The relief experienced after body work will help attitude and ability to focus, which can affect behavior, training, and performance.

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Why Does Your Horse Need Structural Integration?

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Structural Integration, also known as Rolfing, manually releases body stress and tension that prevent postural alignment and balance.

Most pain relates to muscles and joints. Muscles and joints bear the strain when bodies are overused, misused, and unbalanced. Body balance also affects circulation, digestion, and the nervous system.

The muscles and skeleton is the largest energy user of the body. When the body is under strain, the result is fatigue, pain, and reduced athletic performance.

I see my job as a massage therapist as that of a body educator. There is nothing that makes me happier than to see previously uncomfortable and suffering animals able to enjoy their jobs with a bright look on their face.

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Magic Hands!

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A muscle that is very tight remains in a contracted position, even when at rest. Circulation to the muscle is then reduced, and as a result, the muscle loses elasticity. Gradually, the muscle becomes fixed in a shortened position. Full range of motion will no longer be possible. Reversal of this condition is highly unlikely unless the muscle fibers are released by an experienced practitioner. Rest will not change the pain and restriction of severely contracted muscles. Skilled hands can relieve the discomfort and dysfunction of constricted muscle fibers. The body worker is a detective, putting together pieces of a puzzle to rebuild proper posture , movement, and alignment.

Muscular Patterns Reveal Themselves

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The more chance I have to observe a horse in action, the easier it is for me to identify where the horse might have pain or constrictions. Ideally, I have the time at a show to watch the horse in the ring, but at the very least, I need to see the horse walking away from me, towards me, and walking in a circle in each direction. Seeing the horse standing will also reveal areas of myofascial tightness, postural deviations, and other asymmetries.  Once I see all that, I have to become a detective, putting together all the clues.

The majority of the time, trigger points, stress points, and other restrictions in the body manifest in patterns. For instance, a tight left shoulder might be caused by a tight right biceps femoris (muscles in the hind end). Before I ever put my hands on a horse, I often have an idea (though I also have to keep an open mind!) of what I am going to find.

It has been reported that massaging a horse before competition can result in as much as a 20% increase in the animal’s efficiency.

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Muscles Have a Big Job

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Muscle is living tissue, requiring fuel, oxygen, temperature regulation, and waste removal. Muscles are constantly rebuilding and restructuring, responding to hard work, rest, standing, and walking. On any given day, I will find a different horse from the one I saw a week ago.

Muscles that are responsible for movement have long, elastic fibers. They act as levers to move the bone where they insert.

The muscles that are responsible for maintaining posture tend to have short, strong muscle fibers. Some of these muscles wind around joints to provide support.

Each equine discipline differs in what it requires from the muscles. A pony pulling a cart will need different adjustments to one going in a side saddle. The dressage horse will experience different muscle soreness from a racehorse. When working with a horse I also need to take into account what kind of footing it is ridden on, and whether some asymmetries might be caused by a rider hanging on a rein or sitting crookedly.

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