All
animal athletes benefit from sports massage.
Massage today is just as viable as it was centuries ago as a healing
art. Sports massage is divided into maintenance
performance massage, pre-event massage, and post-event massage.
The
equine athlete can be defined as the backyard horse, the high-level performance
horse or contest horse. What all horses
have in common is soft tissue pain and injuries. Soft tissues are muscle, ligament and
tendons. Muscles are the soft tissues
that move joints. Ligaments are the
connective tissue that connects bone o bone.
Tendons attach the muscle to a bone.
These soft tissues can become dysfunctional due to sprains, muscle
cramps, bruising, strains, general muscle soreness, or repetitive stress
injuries. Animal athletes can suffer
from these symptoms just as human athletes do.
In many ways, the mechanism of injury to the animal's body is very similar
to that of the human body. As a result
of these soft tissue injuries, many owners are seeking well-trained and highly
qualified massage therapists to massage their animals athlete(s). The goal of sports massage is to return the
animal to optimum performance by providing pain-free function.
Massage
is the most natural means of alleviating and relieving pain. We instinctively rub a muscle that is sore
or aching. Touch as a healing method
appears to have been developed in many cultures. Probably the first recorded written account dates back to circa
2000 BC in China. The Egyptians,
Persians and Japanese have all made references to massage in their historical
medical literature since about 500 BC.
Throughout history, many systems and theories concerning the management
of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction have come and gone. However, massage has remained a constant
therapy for the relief of such pain.
Massage therapy styles and theories can be employed for many
reasons. The styles of Swedish Massage
therapy styles and theories can be employed for many reasons. They styles of Swedish Massage and Sports
Massage each include the techniques effleurage, kneading or petrissage, and
percussion. These techniques are
applied in specific order, so that they impact the circulatory, respiratory,
muscular and nervous systems. The
resultant physiological changes are determined by several factors. Three such factors are the following:
What techniques are employed by the
therapist
How much pressure is used in the
application of the techniques
In what order or sequence are the
techniques administered
A
maintenance performance massage is a combination of Swedish Massage and Sports
Massage techniques blended into a unique choreography. The focus of maintenance performance massage
is to impact the specific systems of the body for stress reduction, relaxation
and performance enhancement. the result
is an increased circulation to the muscles and tendons enabling them to be more
supple and the nervous system is quieted.
Applying performance maintenance massage weekly, bi-weekly or monthly,
will help prevent repetitive use injuries, enhance endurance by maintaining
flexibility, and hopefully prolong the animal athlete's career. A word to the wise...a maintenance
performance massage should be performed on the animal athlete at least three
days before a scheduled competition.
The animal's body needs time to adjust to all the changes that occur
during and after the massage.
Pre-event
and post-even massage therapies are each tailored for distinct purposes. These massage styles are to be applied on
the day of competition or strenuous workout.
Pre-event massage is used to enhance the animal athlete's warm-up. However, this is not a substitute for the
warm-up. The goal is to fill the
muscles with fresh well-oxygenated, nutrient filled blood. This increased circulation provides tissue
suppleness and aids in metabolic exchange.
It reduces excess muscle and mental tension. The pre-event massage prepares the tissues for athletic competition
through the application of kneading techniques such as deep compressions, and
cross fiber frictions. Deep
compressions are performed in a rhythmic pumping action, which helps to fill
the muscles with blood. Cross fibering
techniques are done in a perpendicular direction to the muscle fibers, thus
helping the muscle belly to broaden.
This further results in the muscle having the ability to contract more
quickly with increased strength. the
outcome from the blending of these two techniques will enhance performance.
Post-event
massage is geared toward reducing the trauma that has occurred during
competition and workouts. The objective
is to flush the toxins that are released during heavy muscle activity, speed
recovery and thus reduce the risk of future injury. Often times, during heavy muscle activity, small micro-tears and
other traumas occur to the soft tissues.
The use of cross fiber frictions will help release adhesions or the scar
tissue, that can result from these small micro-tears, speeding recovery
time. Other techniques used in
post-event massage are effleurage and deep compressions. Effleurage, long stroking movements that
move the blood through the veins, flushes the toxins from the muscles by
increasing circulation to the area.
Deep compressions, sandwiched between effleurage strokes, encourages the
removal of waste products and sets the stage for the muscle to be replenished
with fresh blood. Endurance riders
would find the use of post-event massage advantageous in lowering the heart and
respiratory rates in their mount at checkpoints. A post-event massage can be a healthy reward for a great effort.
While
the benefits to be gained through the used of sports massage and massage in general
are great, it is not a substitute for veterinary care. If there is any question about the health of
your animal athlete, please consult your veterinarian. We encourage all animal professionals and
caretakers to investigate sports massage and the benefits gained through its
use.
Authors Patricia Whalen-Shaw, MA,
LMT, SMT and Len Montavon, MA, LMT,
SMT are
founders and owners of Optissage, Inc., a successful equine massage training
program.