Benefits of Massage:
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Help to relax and enhance the function of joints and muscles.
* Improve range of movement and general body tone.
* Help to relieve pain, swelling, and stiffness.
* Add to your canine companion's overall sense of well-being.
* Reduce muscle strain, tension and subsequent injury.
* Increase flow of blood and nutrients to promote healing.
* Improve nervous system functioning.
What is massage therapy?
As a form of physiotherapy, massage therapy is the application of specific hand movements on a patient or recipient to improve muscle and joint function by relieving tension, spasm, pain or other restrictions to proper motion. It may be used for warm-up purposes, for relaxing or stimulating muscles in order to prevent injury or for rehabilitation of a patient after an injury has occurred. Massage is also used to compensate for impaired circulation by augmenting the normal flow of blood and lymphatic fluid. Finally, massage is used to stimulate the function of various internal organs through reflexively linked and externally located portals of access, often termed acupressure points and trigger points.
What is the history of massage therapy in veterinary medicine?
Massage therapy has been relatively recently adopted as a therapeutic modality by veterinary medicine and borrows heavily from techniques used in human massage therapy. A few of the more common techniques include trigger-point massage, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, friction massage and passive range of motion therapy.
On which species of animals is massage therapy practiced regularly?
Sports massage (massage directed at athletes to prevent injury) is used widely to prevent injury in horses and dogs before competitions. Passive range of motion (flexing and extending a limb for example) is prescribed as a form of physiotherapy following certain injuries and orthopedic procedures in small animals, especially in dogs. Veterinarians use acupressure on most mammals and even some reptiles.
Who practices veterinary massage therapy?
Our veterinarians and animal rehabilitation therapists (ARTs) possess the expertise to instruct clients on how to maintain mobility through passive limb movements in convalescing patients. Other massage techniques and applications are much more specialized, and require additional training. Acupressure will often require some formal training in Chinese medical theory. Integrative Pet Care ARTs have all received special training in veterinary massage therapy and have learned trigger point therapy, sports massage and friction massage.
What conditions are most often treated with massage therapy?
Both acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries may respond to massage therapy, especially as a complement to other forms of specific treatment. Acupressure can be used as an adjunct therapy for any condition. When used for rehabilitation, the patient's treatment must have been preceded by a veterinary examination and complete diagnosis, including assessment of any other health concerns.
How can my companion animal benefit from massage therapy?
When performed as part of a comprehensive treatment package, massage therapy may minimize injuries and enhance the patient's recovery speed. Animals with decreased mobility from chronic injuries may benefit from massage therapy with improved range of motion and/or decreased pain. Massage increases circulation and nerve stimulation where it is applied and also internally in any reflexively associated internal organs.
How successful is massage therapy?
The success of massage therapy, especially as it relates to sports massage, is difficult to measure or validate except when evaluated through controlled clinical trials. Such research is currently lacking in veterinary medicine. The current acceptance of massage therapy as promoting faster recovery from injuries is largely based on clinical experience and human research.
How safe is massage therapy?
When performed by a trained professional, massage therapy is extremely safe. Massage therapy must never be performed on open or infected wounds, on torn muscles, on joints affected with inflammatory arthritis or if the patient has a fever.
Can massage therapy be combined with other types of veterinary medicine?
Massage therapy integrates well into a treatment plan that utilizes either traditional or alternative forms of veterinary medicine. If your companion animal is receiving massage therapy from a practitioner other than your regular veterinarian, it is imperative that both individuals are kept updated about the ongoing treatment in order to provide coordinated care of your pet, to allow proper evaluation of treatment and to minimize any avoidable interactions or interferences. At Integrative Pet Care our veterinarians, who are well-trained and versed in a variety of rehab modalities including massage, collaborate with the pet's primary care veterinarian to appropriately coordinate care.
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