About Canine Therapy

Like so many people dealing with chronic pain or injury, horses and dogs also have a dynamic living system called the fascial system (connective tissue), which is the environment and communication network for everything in the body. Fascia encompasses every system, organ, muscle, tendon, etc., in the body, which is three-dimensional. It is like a spider web integrated/infused around and within everything in the body. As fascia responds to stress and trauma and becomes restricted, the ground substance solidifies. This can put pressure of up to 2000 pounds per square inch onto pain-sensitive structures in the body. Essentially, humans, dogs, and horses alike have the same components that respond to stressors.

Part of a natural protective response is to guard in areas of vulnerability until we are given a reason to feel assured that we are safe. Myofascial Release techniques can create an environment for the body to feel safe to release with a very patient sustained stretch into holding patterns. As we melt into this web, we are allowing time for the fascial web to release layer by layer, beyond the surface.

Myofascial Release is not deep tissue massage, nor is it like chiropractic or Physical Therapy. The myofascial system that interconnects everything is not part of the equation – and the more it is ignored, the more persistent the tension, restriction, and pressure, which acts like a "straight jacket," causing pain and dysfunction to persist. These holding patterns put pressure on pain-sensitive structures, pulling the body out of balance. In turn, the body enters a cycle of compensation. The Myofascial Release technique involves mindful attention to the entire mind-body web, engaging at the barrier of restriction, and encouraging a stretch/shear for 3-5 min allowing the essential time necessary for the fascial web to not just "relax" but to change on a cellular level. This patient approach allows the mucopolysaccharide gel of the fascial web to melt and change and to elongate back to its pre-shortened length, effectively releasing that "straight jacket."