Animal bodywork modalities encompass a variety of techniques aimed at improving musculoskeletal structure primarily in order to improve mobility, function, and overall well-being. Most people consider bodywork from a purely musculoskeletal and athletic performance perspective, but when we think about how nerve pathways to organs can equally be impacted by very slight misalignments and energy meridians course throughout the body, the impact of bodywork and its ability to help in other areas of health becomes obvious, even if bodyworkers are legally banned from making such claims.
With a variety of options to choose from, owners are spoilt for choice but sometimes don’t know the differences between them and can’t decide what to do! Below is a basic comparison of the more common modalities used to treat animals, including their principles, techniques, and focus areas. It is not an exhaustive comparison as many whole books have been written about each modality on its own, so this article will inevitably miss out some things that some practitioners will consider shouldn’t have been. Apologies in advance, but there are limitations on what I can include in such an article!
What bodywork isn’t!
The picture above shows some more extreme examples of angular limb deformities in foals which arise primarily from inappropriate nutrition during a mare’s pregnancy, but can also be caused by poor foot balance in early life. If treated sufficiently early i.e. even as a day-old foal, angular limb deformities can largely be corrected, but if not will become permanent. Similarly, inappropriate commercial pet foods fed to our pet carnivores as they grow are the root cause of all developmental orthopaedic diseases. These are not the sort of problems that bodywork is intended to treat. Bodywork for this article is primarily about how we maintain a good musculoskeletal structure that starts off right.
Misalignments and subluxations
I should perhaps define what is meant by the terms misalignment and subluxation when used by some of the bodywork practitioners. Unfortunately, some mainstream veterinarians don’t appreciate that small deviations from the perfect position of bones that comprise a joint, whilst not a dislocation as might be widely understood will nonetheless still compromise the function of the joint and the soft tissue structures around it. These small misalignments/subluxations won’t necessarily be detectable using imaging techniques such as X-ray, MRI or bone scintigraphy and requires skilful manual palpation to be appreciated. This level of palpation skill is not taught during standard veterinary education and is not easy to master. Adjustments therefore often only require very small movements to be corrective, but can have major benefits for range and ease of joint movement and thus gait and performance.
Nerves that branch off the spinal cord and exit between vertebrae can be compromised from impingement caused by small vertebral subluxations. If a spinal adjustment reduces impingement on a nerve, then the nerve will be able to operate normally and the function it helps regulate can recover too. This is equally applicable for nerves that go to and from organs as much as those that control and monitor the musculoskeletal system.
As I’ve pointed out in previous articles, our understanding of fascia and the extracellular matrix (ECM) is rapidly expanding. The importance of their role in the overall functionality of an animal (and people!) for structure and also internal communication is starting to be better appreciated, and as with nerves regulating organs, there is wider potential implications for the fascia and ECM from bodywork beyond just musculoskeletal structure and function.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for animals focuses on restoring movement, strength, and function, especially after injury or surgery. It’s also used for managing chronic conditions such as arthritis.
Although in the UK, the title "physiotherapist" (as well as "physical therapist") is a protected title within the human sphere of treatment, “veterinary physiotherapist” is not. However, veterinary physiotherapy is nonetheless regarded as a specialised field, with reputable practitioners having undertaken formal qualifications in animal physiotherapy. The majority will be members of professional bodies such as the National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP), or the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) for chartered human physiotherapists who have undergone further training in animal therapy.
Techniques include manual therapy (stretching, joint mobilization), therapeutic exercises, and hydrotherapy, and may include adjunctive treatments such as ultrasound or laser therapy.
Physiotherapy, having a strong background of acceptance within the human medical has not unsurprisingly become more accepted to veterinarians than some of the other bodywork modalities, even those which have been around a bit longer. Physiotherapy is offered within some veterinary practices, primarily those that have a specialist orthopaedic arm to oversee recovery post operation, eg from cruciate surgery and fracture repair.
From my perspective, physiotherapy is very good at rehab and remobilisation but unless a physiotherapist has also completed education in one of the manipulative techniques below then there are limitations to what they can achieve on an ongoing maintenance basis IMHO. Veterinary physiotherapy can however play a very important role in recovery once alignment issues have been corrected.
McTimoney Chiropractic
McTimoney chiropractic is my go-to whole body adjustment approach for me and Boots on the rare occasions we’ve needed it over the last 20+ years.
The principle behind the McTimoney method is that a fast but gentle adjustment can reset the muscle spindle sensors that set the resting tension in muscles so that when all the resting muscle tension is correct, the bones are naturally pulled back into best alignment. If you think of it a bit like adjusting the guy ropes of a tent to keep the supporting poles upright and in their best position you’ll understand the principle behind it. There’s no crunching or cracking involved so is less distressing for animals.
There are maybe fewer McTimoney practitioners around than other types of body work, but you can locate your nearest one via their members McTimoney Animal Association website – link in resources.
Other Chiropractic Methods
Other chiropractic techniques tend to be more forceful than McTimoney although the overall aim to realign bones and improve structure and function is the same.
Osteopathy
I’ve never been fully convinced that osteopathy is much different from chiropractic in its overall aim, although definitions and comparisons will frequently claim that osteopathy is a more holistic approach. From my experience, McTimoney has a holistic outlook too. No doubt there are different techniques for certain adjustments, but in the same way that McTimoney differs from other chiropractic techniques I’m not sure that osteopathy isn’t just a slightly different manipulation technique. I’ve probably just committed sacrilege in some peoples’ eyes, but I’m more than willing to learn and stand corrected if a chiropractor/osteopath/both wants to comment and correct me!!
Feldenkrais Method
Feldenkrais is a movement-based therapy that focuses on retraining the nervous system and promoting functional movement patterns. Slow, mindful movements are guided by the practitioner to help the animal relearn better movement patterns and release tension.
Improving coordination, reducing tension, and enhancing body awareness has benefits in hopefully reducing future injury. It is often used for animals recovering from injury or trauma.
Bowen Therapy
Bowen therapy is a gentle form of bodywork that focuses on stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal by releasing tension in muscles and connective tissues.
The technique involves light, rolling movements over specific muscle groups, tendons, and fascia in a set order that enables the body to readjust. Treatment sessions incorporate pauses between movements to allow the body to respond. It is a whole body program and can be quite slow from my experience. Owners are often advised not to touch their horse for a day or 2 post treatment to let the full effect take hold.
Whilst I recommend an easy day or 2 after Scenar and other holistic/bodywork treatment I don’t really see that touching your horse is going to be a problem. Forget about even trying if it’s a dog!! Dogs love contact and bouncing around and any treatment should be able to withstand that in my book. Horses may not demonstrate it in quite the same way as dogs, but equally love fuss and attention including touch and I don’t see how denying them that is beneficial for them or the owner. Horses are more than capable of banging themselves in their stable etc too, and will do so with far more force than a light pat! Have I just drawn another target on my back?!!
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release focuses on releasing tension in the fascia which is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs, to improve mobility and relieve pain.
Hands-on stretching and pressure techniques are used to release fascial restrictions. It is often used for treating animals with chronically restricted movement after injury. It can be particularly helpful in animals with scar tissue or adhesions. It can be used in combination with other more structural bodywork techniques. Other bodywork practitioners may incorporate aspects of myofascial release within their treatment regime.
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy was originally developed by osteopaths for people. In the late 1990's US-based Maureen Rogers started developing the technique for use on horses and other animals and has continued to teach and educate these techniques around the world.
The brain and circulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) creates a pulse which gets disrupted when the CSF flow is restricted as can happen if the meninges that cover the CNS and extend down the spinal column get a torsion. This can occur as a result of misalignment whether from the vertebrae and/or if the plates of the skull are slightly misplaced as can often happen during birth.
Gentle hand placements carefully manipulate the cranial bones and spine to restore the correct flow and pulse of cerebrospinal fluid. It is often used where neurological symptoms are suggestive of CSF flow disruption, and/or following a known traumatic birth.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy for animals involves manual manipulation of muscles and soft tissues to relieve tension, reduce pain and stiffness, and enhance circulation.
Massage can be more gentle with the primary aim of improving circulation, which is great for elderly dogs that perhaps tend to lie down and sleep a lot. or it can be a stronger sports massage for performance animals that is looking to find areas of tension in hard working muscles to remove knots. It will of course help improve circulation and enhance recovery from athletic work to get rid of lactic acid too. It emphasises the need for a good warm down after exercise too, which I suspect is often cut shorter than it should be.
Pennie has written an excellent book that I will link to in the resources for those who want to learn some basic techniques to help their own horses.
Qualifications
It’s important when choosing who to use a practitioner to consider their qualifications, experience and recommendation. Some courses will be associated with recognised universities or colleges, whilst others may have no official recognition in that way. In the latter case, that doesn’t necessarily mean the bodywork modality isn’t any good, because as we know, anything out of mainstream veterinary medicine struggles for recognition, and association with higher educational bodies comes at a significant financial cost, even assuming there is one that is prepared to recognise the modality.
As with any profession, politics plays its part too, and there are a number of great practitioners who are brilliant at what they do who have decided not to pay to be on a register somewhere for whatever reason. The most important part to check is that a practitioner has professional indemnity insurance for their work. On the whole, insurers will only insure those who have been properly trained.
Bear in mind when deciding what bodywork is best for your animal, that they are individuals too, and not every animal will respond well to every modality, or to every practitioner. The bottom line is how much of a difference does a certain modality provided by a certain practitioner make. I find when I’m using Scenar for treatment or maintenance that certain individuals respond better than others during a session. I’m sure other practitioners find the same thing.
For horses and dogs especially that are performing at the highest levels, more than one modality may be appropriate. They are likely going to be used at different intervals too. For example, a skeletal assessment and adjustment using chiropractic or osteopathy may be only required once every one or 2 months, whereas sports massage might be great on a weekly basis. The total available budget for bodywork will also determine what is practical and how its apportioned too.
Prevention is always better than cure. Likewise, early detection of something that is just starting to go wrong but that isn’t obvious in performance because it can be compensated for is “a stitch in time saves 9” scenario. Regular bodywork from someone who gets to know what is “normal” for an individual, who keeps everything up together and who can help spot things early makes economic sense rather than waiting for a more major breakdown that requires considerable expense on investigation and treatment and is more likely to require considerable time out and rehab.
For those animals that aren’t doing performance work, a 6 monthly alignment check-up is a good idea with extra sessions in between if necessary, should a specific issue arise. Of course, there’s nothing to stop owners learning and doing some basic massage too! Regular grooming will provide some massage and helps stimulate circulation.
In the UK, bodyworkers are obliged to get veterinary permission before they can work on an animal despite the fact that not all vets understand the different modalities. There shouldn’t really be any objection to ongoing routine maintenance, and few veterinarians will refuse to give permission.
Summary
Body work is an important part of health maintenance, especially for those animals that lead an athletic lifestyle. Whilst skeletal alignment is important for performance it has a much wider scope as I’ve pointed out. Bodywork should therefore be considered a routine aspect of overall health maintenance. How much to do and how frequently is an individual animal issues depending on level of athletic performance and age etc.
As I think I’ve mentioned before in past articles, riding a horse is a joint relationship and rider bodywork to maintain alignment and balance is as important as for the horse. A rider who has misalignments, and consequently can’t balance their weight even on the saddle, or who is much stronger on one side of their body can create similar issues in their horse. It goes both ways too, so if as a rider you notice you’re out, think whether this might have occurred through transfer from your horse. I would therefore encourage a rider to coordinate their bodywork to coincide with that for their horse. Whilst we tend to be right or left handed and to preferentially use one side for work around the yard, I would recommend mucking out and carrying water buckets etc both left and right handed to help maintain equal strength and skeletal balance.
Before I get called out too badly for missing out other bodywork techniques, there are others of course such as Tellington Touch (often abbreviated to TT or T-Touch), the Masterson Method, EMRT (based on Bowen) and no doubt others too. Scenar can be used for bodywork maintenance too as can acupuncture and acupressure all of which I’ve discussed in past articles too. It’s huge topic and impossible to do it justice here, but hopefully it will help owners consider it if they haven’t already and maybe explore the subject further. Whilst I’ve focused on horses and dogs here to a lesser degree, bodywork is equally applicable to any animal species although less frequently treated.
Resources and further reading:
Veterinary Physiotherapy: https://www.navp.co.uk/
McTimoney Animal Association: https://mctimoneyanimal.co.uk/find-a-member/#!directory/map
Osteopathy: https://www.ocauk.org/
Feldenkrais: https://feldenkrais.com/about-the-feldenkrais-method/
Bowen: https://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/bowen-for-animals/
MyoFascial Release: https://www.in-toucheducation.co.uk/
Craniosacral: https://www.equinecraniosacral.com/
Equine Sports Massage: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sports-Massage-Horses-Pennie-Hooper/dp/1872119875