Why Is Release An Important Signal In Bodywork?
Bodywork is a complementary therapy that helps address issues your animal is having. This may be joint pain, strained muscles, healing from injury, or disease. The goal of bodywork is to stimulate the cells and encourage circulation.
Animal athletes such as performance horses benefit greatly from bodywork along with training. In addition, it has many applications for pets.
What Happens During Bodywork?
Bodywork includes multiple modalities such as PEMF, Massage, Equissage, and Taping. Read my article Bodywork 101 to learn about the many different modalities.
During your animal’s bodywork session, their circulation is increasing, and oxygenated blood is reaching their muscles. This can then aid in lymphatic drainage which helps the body eliminate toxins. Endorphins get released leading to a pain-relieving effect.
Your pet starts to feel relaxed and pain-free. These present themselves as visible signs.
Susan using Equine Massage techniques Photo credit: Ame Vanorio
What Does Release Look Like?
During a bodywork session, we look for signs to let us know the animal is releasing stress and pain. The therapist needs to be watching for these cues to communicate with your animal.
Signs that your animal is relaxing and releasing tension are important and signals that the therapy is having a positive effect.
Common Releases:
jaw or tongue movement
loose lower lip
Passing gas
relaxed posture
resting a leg
sleepy looking
soft eye movements and blinking
stretching of a limb or the neck
twitches of the skin
Yawning
Signs of Stress
There are also signs of increased stress or discomfort. You may have noticed these in your horse or other animal and that’s why you are seeking complementary therapy for them.
We never want to punish a horse for these behaviors as they are trying to communicate something important.
“It is just like man’s vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions. ”
Signs of Discomfort or Pain:
Pawing
Stepping sideways
Head Tossing
Biting at themselves
Susan Loves Doyle ;) Photo credit: Susan Dickinson
Importance of Listening
That is why it’s so important to listen. Susan often says “Not every modality works for every situation. Each case is unique. That’s why I meet your animal where they are that day. “
Susan also communicates with her body. By taking slow easy breaths and moving with care she communicates that she is grounded and ready to listen.
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Author, Ame Vanorio, is the director of Fox Run Environmental Education, an author, and Rocket’s mom.