Manual Therapy
I use massage, stretching and gentle skeletal realignment therapies to manage animal injuries and for rehabilitation. They are sometimes used as standalone treatments but are usually combined with electrotherapies and remedial exercise programmes.
Massage
Massage is used to relax the animal and get the blood flowing, this accelerates tissue repair and also has a pain relieving effect.
​
There are a number of different techniques I use and these have different effects on the tissue;
​
Effleurage – used to reduce muscle tension, relax the animal and aid in oedemic drainage
​
Petrissage – used to increase muscle tone
​
Friction – used to improve muscle quality and break down scar tissue
​
Compression – used to alleviate trigger points
​
Tapotement – Used to increase localised blood flow
​
​
Passive Range of Motion Stretches
Joint movement can be restricted by permanent soft tissue contracture. This restriction can be painful for the animal and will lead to poor performance. I aim to address this by the use of slow, gentle, passive ROM stretches. Stretching improves the elasticity of the collagenous structures.
