Can Therapeutic Massage Help Your Pet

The Phoenicians, Romans, Chinese, and the Greeks all practiced massage therapy on humans as well as animals. 

Early civilizations learned the importance of massage therapy to help in healing and also to relieve pain.  In many of the earliest books containing information for both human, and animal health treatment, many chapters were devoted to the use of massage therapy, and the benefits it can bring.

As we entered the more modern times, drugs were developed and used for the treatment of both human and animals.  When the use of these medical miracle drugs became more prevalent, the practice of using therapeutic massage was slowly lost, and no longer considered to be a relevant treatment option.

One problem which developed out of the use of these new drugs was the side effects, that in many cases were worse than the symptoms of the original condition.  This caused many to rethink and look back to some of the therapies that were used before the discovery of drug therapies.

Massage therapy then returned to the limelight as a way of saving money on prescription drugs.  People began to realize that animals and humans were receiving much the same benefits from therapeutic massage, when compared to the drug alternatives. 

This has given veterinarians and doctors more options than just using prescription drugs, and  surgery for treating their human as well as their animal patients.

As people began to use massage therapy as an aid in healing and reducing pain in humans, they also realized it could also be a huge benefit to animals as well.  They then began to use massage therapies on their pets. 

Somewhere in the 1980's people started trying alternative therapies on their pets.  We have seen a significant move toward the use of alternative therapies especially on horses and their companion animals.  The owners and trainers of horses involved in racing quickly realized the benefits of using therapeutic massage on racing horses.  Massage has now become the most widely used alternative medicine for pets and other animals.  Many folks have learned the art of Massage right in their own home.  Click Here to get more information about learning Massage in your own home.

There are several documented benefits to using massage therapy. Therapeutic massage can be used to improve muscle tone, as well as to help increase the pets range of motion. 

Another documented benefit of massage therapy has also been in reducing inflammation and swelling in joints, and also has been found to help ease pain.

Quick Facts About Massage Therapy Shiatsu Massage 'Finger pressure' isn't a bad description of massage, is it? That's what shiatsu. The technique, like the words, hails from Japan, although it is in part a synthesis of concepts from elsewhere. Shiatsu was developed in the early part of the last century, by individuals such as Tenpaku Temai (whose 1915 book Shiatsu Ryoho brought us the word shiatsu) and Tokujiro Namikoshi. It was Namikoshi who brought Shiatsu to the attention of the world, giving treatments to people as well-known as Marilyn Monroe, boxer Muhammed Ali, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.

Some of the other benefits of the therapeutic massage is its ability to promote healing by increasing the bodies circulation, and this then allows nutrients to flow to the muscles. 

Massage therapy also helps in removing the toxins as well as any excess fluids that have stored up in the body.  It also helps the muscles contract and release, which then eases pains, relaxes the muscles, and releases built up tension.  Massage therapy also causes the body to release endorphins. 

Endorphins are known as the body's built in natural pain killers, and also help promote better physical condition for the entire body.  

Theraputic Massage Terms and Facts. Massage in combination with for instance Reiki can help to lower blood pressure. The relaxing properties of a good massage has helped more than one person get permission from their doctor to fly. I have heard stories where people that have previously been turned down by their heart doctor for flights have the same doctor give permission because of the drop in blood pressure after a Reiki massage. A deep massage, which is applied with a lot of pressure around the lymph nodes and the lymphatic channels helps to improve the lymph flow. This is also why pressure should always be applied in the direction of the heart. basically imagine you are moving all the waste to where it can escape, which in massage is thought to be the central region around the heart.

If you have noticed that your family pet is now moving a little slower, or maybe having trouble getting up and down the stairs, or just plain lying around all-day?  This could be a sign that their muscles and joints may be getting tender and painful.  A gentle massage can help to ease the pain, and help soothe those aching joints.  

Of course it is always a good idea to consult with your vet to be sure the symptoms you are noticing are not just the signs of another, more serious problem.  

Click Here if you would like to learn more about how to give a great massage your partner and your pet, won't soon forget.