Equine Massage: A Practical Guide (20 page)

Use a short (15 to 60 seconds) up to an average (2 or 3 minutes) application for the very sensitive body parts such as the face or groin.

Cold hydrotherapy applications are very effective. Make sure you have some ice cups and wet towels in your freezer ready for use. It pays to be prepared for emergencies! Include this procedure in your preventive therapy, before and after your massages; it will make your work easier and more effective.

Heat

Heat is invaluable in therapy. Heat is used at every level in medical practice—not only in hydrotherapy, but with ultrasound, lasers, heat lamps, and so on.

In combination with massage therapy, heat greatly helps in the recovery stages of injuries as well as in maintenance and preventive programs.

Effects of Heat

Primarily, heat decreases pain by soothing the sensory nerve endings. It causes dilation, resulting in improved circulation and thus bringing more oxygen and nutrients to tissues. Heat loosens the fibers of muscles, tendons, and ligaments; dislodges toxins; and prepares the area for a good massage. Moist heat is more effective than dry heat because it penetrates more deeply into the body.

Secondarily, heat brings a general feeling of relaxation to the muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments. It raises the body temperature, stimulates metabolism, and lowers blood pressure.

Application of Heat

Heat is used mostly in subacute or chronic stages of post-traumatic recovery. It can lessen the aches of old wounds, ease low-grade inflammations, and relieve stiffness in older animals. Used widely in deep massage treatments, heat loosens muscle fibers and other fibrous tissues prior to the employment of friction moves.

Heat may be used to control pain in acute injuries. If heat is used on contusions, sprains, and other acute injuries, it should be as hot as can be tolerated, usually above 118°F (48°C).

94

Equine Massage

At higher temperatures, heat works as effectively as ice packs because of its great ability to stop bleeding in tissues.

Heat Devices and Techniques

❖ A hot-water bottle is very effective if it can be applied properly. Unless you can take the time to hold it on the horse, it is impractical.

❖ A heat lamp is efficient, but requires a special installation.

❖ An electrical heating pad is effective, but the cord presents a danger because the horse’s feet could become entangled in it.

❖ Hydrocollator packs are probably the most convenient.

These packs contain mud and are preheated in hot-water containers.Wrap them in a towel before you apply them. Be careful that the temperature is not so high that it burns the horse’s skin (no more than 53.6°F [12°C], above normal body temperature).

❖ Hot towels are convenient to use, but need to be replaced frequently. As mentioned above, wet or moist heat is generally more effective than dry heat because it penetrates deeper into the muscles. When applying hot towels, cover them up with plastic so the horse produces more body heat.

❖ Poultices produce moist heat from a semisolid mixture of various substances (clay, flax seed, or mustard) that is applied to the body while hot.

❖ Hot-water hosing is very practical.

❖ Some facilities are equipped with warm-water whirlpools, which are excellent for therapeutic exercises and training, but are not easy to access.

❖ Counterirritant liniments produce heat effectively.

Duration of Heat Application

Prolonged to very prolonged applications are the rule for temperatures under 110°F (48°C).The usual amount of time for a heat application is 10 to 20 minutes; because of the risk of over-heating, do not apply heat for longer than 30 minutes at one time.

Extremely hot applications (over 110°F [48°C]) should be used very carefully and for only about 5 to 15 seconds.When hot applications are used to stop hemorrhaging, a short to average duration—

1 or 2 minutes—is enough to do the job.

Too much heat applied too long can irritate nerve endings and result in
neuralgia,
a dull to severe ache in the nerve endings. If you
Hydrotherapy

95

suspect this has happened, use cool cloths to numb those nerve endings and bring back normal sensations.

Warning:
The temperature of heat should be 41 to 53.6°F (5

to 12°C) above normal body temperature, which is about 100.4°F

(38°C). Between 109.4 and 122°F (43 to 50°C) should be safe.

Above 122°F (50°C), you risk burning the skin. Use a thermometer to be sure.

Heat is not as accessible as cold but it is very useful in recovery and in maintenance programs.

Poultices

A poultice is usually an application of moist heat produced by a semisolid mixture of various substances and applied to the body while hot. A poultice is a very effective way to treat arthritis, rheumatism, and other inflammations.

To make a poultice, first spread the chosen mixture on a piece of cotton cloth large enough to cover the entire area to be treated.

Second, gently apply the cloth with the mixture side directly in contact with the body. Third, cover the poultice with an extra piece of flannel to hold in the warmth.To get more of a drawing-out effect, apply flexible plastic (i.e., a plastic bag) on top of the flannel piece covering the poultice. This will keep moisture and heat close to the body and enhance the desired effect.

When applying a poultice to the leg, use a leg wrap to secure the poultice. When applying a poultice to another body part, improvise, or hold it in place with your hand.

Allow the poultice to remain on for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the part of the body being treated. For young, growing animals (foals and yearlings), 10 minutes is sufficient.When using clay poultices to reduce tendon inflammation, however, leave them on for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.

If there appears to be any tenderness or skin eruption, do not apply the poultice directly on the skin. If the skin is broken, put a layer of clean cotton cloth between the poultice and the skin.

Common Poultice Mixtures

Clay poultice is very effective in treating arthritis and inflammations. Use a well-known brand of clay (either white, gray, or green clay) such as Vogel or other popular commercial brand, because these clays are “clean,” meaning their contents are known. If you consider using a clay found on your farm or in a local river bed, be aware of its chemical makeup before applying it.

96

Equine Massage

Onion, cabbage, and cottage cheese are very good at drawing toxins out of dirty wounds and especially out of boils.You can use each ingredient separately or mixed together (1/3 of each). Chop the onion and cabbage in fine, small pieces. Mix well with enough cottage cheese to produce a semisolid paste. Apply in the same manner as the other poultices.

Mustard is the most successful and the most popular treatment for joint pain, rheumatism, and neuralgia. Mustard has a strong analgesic effect and brings blood to the surface, thus increasing circulation. The chief medicinal property of mustard is its natural and penetrative volatile oil, which has a pungent odor. This volatile oil is released when mustard powder is mixed with water, provided the latter is not too hot.

Dry mustard, such as Colman’s or Keen’s, must never be mixed with very hot water because that would destroy the volatile oil.

Thus when a very hot mustard poultice is needed, the mustard must be mixed first with cold or lukewarm water and allowed to stand for a few minutes, after which hot water is added.

Make a paste of equal parts of flour and mustard. For sensitive skin, use up to 4 parts flour to 1 part mustard. Spread the mixture on a cotton cloth and apply. Cover with a piece of flannel to retain warmth.When applying the poultice on a leg, secure it with a leg wrap, otherwise improvise or hold by hand for 15 to 30 minutes.

A mixture of equal parts of bran and sea salt, 2/3 cider vinegar and 1/3 water (enough to make a paste) is also commonly used to relieve inflammation.Apply in the same way as a mustard poultice.

The use of water applications and poultices will greatly enhance
your work and bring a lot of comfort to your horse. Even when
massage is contraindicated, hydrotherapy applications can help your
horse.They are an inexpensive and quick form of therapy.

5

MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

The massage techniques in this chapter have been developed to further your knowledge and to provide you with guidelines for the best course of treatment for muscle problems. These techniques will prevent aggravation of those problems, speed up the healing process, and ensure proper recovery.

Massage therapy has developed several techniques of deep massage to eliminate muscle tightening, which causes muscle resistance to natural motion (e.g., shorter stride, restricted neck movement, etc.). Tightening can lead to the build up of stress points (small spasms), trigger points (lactic acid buildup), and poor circulation, which in turn will cause pain and potential lameness to the horse.

By massage techniques, I mean specific massage moves arranged in a pattern and done in an orderly fashion to secure a desired effect. These techniques can be applied to any body part and at any given time after proper warm-up of the area to be worked on, unless massage is contraindicated (see chapter 2).

The techniques are:

❖ The thumb technique for a variety of effects

❖ The elbow technique for deeper treatments

❖ The swelling technique to deal with edema

❖ The trigger point technique to deal with lactic acid buildup

❖ The neuromuscular technique to deal with weak/strong muscles

❖ The stress point technique to deal with small spasms

❖ The origin-insertion technique to deal with chronic muscle contractures, full spasms, or weak muscles

❖ The SEW/WES approach to ensure adequate warm up before a treatment and adequate drainage following a treatment

97

98

Equine Massage

These techniques can be used separately or in any combination to ensure efficient overall treatment and positive results. Although the swelling and spasm techniques are used in emergencies, all the others are used in maintenance and preventive routines according to the horse’s training schedule.

Here, more than anywhere else, the four T’s apply—tension, texture, tenderness, and temperature (see chapter 3). Every stroke will give you feedback on the condition under your fingers. So

“listen” to your fingers and adjust accordingly.

The Thumb Technique

The thumb technique plays a very important role in massage movements, in palpations, and in assessing the structures to be treated. Due to its shape, strength, and versatility, the thumb is a key player in most of your massage moves. It is your most valuable tool for deep work (friction of adhesions).

The thumb should be held at a 90-degree angle when working.

You can use the tip of the thumb like a probe, or you can use the tip’s medial or lateral aspects to make contact with angled surfaces.

The thumb technique is very useful when performing specific, localized work. Never use the thumb without warming up the area to be treated (strokings, effleurages, kneadings, etc.). For more general, less localized or less specific work, you can use the broad surface of the thumb. The thumb’s extreme flexibility allows you to modify the direction of your movement and the force used.

5.1 Thumb Technique

(A) thumb

(B) reinforced index finger

Massage Techniques

99

5.2 Thumb Technique

Thus a wide range of therapeutic effects is possible.You can use the thumb for drainage of small or localized areas, to stretch fibers, to friction scar tissue, to release trigger points, and to make inves-tigative palpations and assessments. The thumb is not to be used mechanically across the tissues; it is to be applied intelligently with knowledge of the structures being treated.

Because of its highly developed sensory nerve endings, your thumb sends messages directly to your brain. If you close your eyes during thumb palpation, or indeed during any other work, you will feel minute changes in the tissues.