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Equine
Sports Massage
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Another
form of physical therapy widely used both today and
in many years gone by is sports massage. Massage works
well with manipulation as it is also of benefit to the
spinal health of our animals and both therapies aim
to restore balance so that the whole of the musculoskeletal
system can work in synergy. Athletic performance requires
freedom of movement and flexibility, optimum muscular
response and the absence of musculoskeletal pain. |
Massage
allows the body to maintain a state of vitality, regain a
state of health after disease or restore well-being after
an accident or injury.
Over 60% of the horse's body weight is muscle and so muscular
problems are a common source of problems.Muscle
tension restricts freedom of movement, causes difficulty in
work and can affect overall performance.
Muscles under tension often show excessive definition.A range
of techniques are used to include compression, percussion,
stress point therapy and many more.
Massage
benefits include:
• increased circulation bringing nutrition to muscles
and removing waste products
• releases spasm and relaxes tense muscles which affect
performance
• increases range of movement
• maintain muscle tone
• increase collagen extensibility
• decreases pain as it causes release of natural endorphins
• aids tissue repair by removing adhesions and accumulated
fluid
• helps prevent injury
• assists stretching of muscles
• increases flexibility
• removes stress points |
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• enhances the response to manipulation Massage
is beneficial both for pre-exercise/competition to prevent
injury and enhance performance and also post-exercise/competition
to assist recovery and repair, to restore nutrients to muscles
and remove waste products. It is a useful rehabilitation tool
Preventative care and prompt attention to minor problems can
help to minimise damage or prevent them occurring in the future.
It is also important to remember that all therapies have their
limitations and equine sports massage is not the solution
to all problems. |
