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| A
Bit About Equine Myofascial Release Therapy |
| Just as the
heart and blood form the ‘cardiovascular system’, muscles, joints and
ligaments form the ‘locomotary system’, . . . fascia tissue forms the
‘myofascial system’, a network of various
forms of connective tissue arranged in
a continuous and uninterrupted network of fibrous bands
weaved together in a 3 dimensional web like design. |
| Fascia
covers and permeates through every muscle, tendon,
ligament, bone, artery,
vein and body organ; ubsequently,
when any tissue mass or body organ experiences trauma or malfunction,
however caused, the fascia will duly respond through the law of ‘cause
& effect’ by promoting poor cellular efficiency, neurosis, disease,
pain and dysfunction to gradually
radiate through the horses body. (student ref:
module I / II internal organ cavities |
| Some areas of
the fascia network are woven very tightly together, so tightly they
visually represent a white layer of solid fibrous fat, while other areas
are woven together rather more loosely, remaining more recognisable as a
web of fibres. |
| The very
design, composition and responsive effects of the fascia system provide a
host of vital services for the horses physiological well being,
including:- |
| Cushioning -
cellular, tissue and organ protection |
| Structural
support and stability |
| Muscular division |
| Skeletal division |
| Organ division |
| Intracellular
metabolism |
| Intracellular
respiration |
| Intracellular
communication |
| Intracellular
nutrition |
| Toxic and waste
elimination |
| Assisting to
maintain a balanced blood flow |
| Assisting to
maintain a balanced lymphatic flow |
| When
Problems Develop |
| Over
time, a variety of influences can cause the
immediate and compensatory areas of the fascia network to tighten its
collagen fibres. This process is often referred to as ‘sclerosis',
Mother Nature’s methods of
protecting its underlying body tissue and / or body organ. When
an area of body tissue or a body organ experiences an abnormal pressure,
its surrounding and immediate fascia fibres will tighten up, providing a
protective barrier to prevent any further pressure reaching the respective
tissue or organ. |
| However,
working with the law of ‘cause & effect’, ‘sclerosis’ will
naturally give up its respective proportion of elastin fibres, causing it
to develop a more inflexible and tighter composition that proceeds to
create both immediate and consequential effects, all of which remain
uncomplimentary to the demands of the working horse. |
| Tight and restricted areas of collagen fibres within
the fascia network progressively spread their negative form through
the system, working through each layer, a process often referred to as the
'drag effect'. |
| Progressively,
the drag effect will restrict the
horses usual range of flexibility,
spontaneity leaving its effects visible to
the human eye. |
| This
process can cause the symptoms of the original problem to manifest
themselves in referred areas of the horses body, subsequently, the
presented deviations of the horses locomotion and posture that we see is not
always the obvious source of pain. |
| A
Bit About Cranialsacral Therapy |
| As
the name suggests, the equine cranialsacral system is an uninterrupted
structure that connects the horses head (cranial) to the horses tail
(sacral). |
| Equine
craniosacral
therapy is a form of equine myofascial therapy that specialises its workings to the
cranialsacral system, also referred to as the 'corelink' |
| The 'corelink' houses the skeletal
structure of the cranium and continues along the entire spinal
vertebrae including the sacrum and tail bone, all of which is housed and protected within the
'dural tube'. |
| Subsequently,
this physiological arrangement can easily pre-dispose the horse to
experience any number of referred and consequential symptomatic
malfunctions derived from either neurological transmissions, lines of
muscular tension (student
ref: stress point cycle paper)
and / or myofascial malfunctions; all of which will continue to feed and
thrive through the law of ‘cause and effect’. |
| In
summary, cranialsacral therapy is a gentle, sensitive,
non-intrusive and amazingly powerful form of deep tissue correction that
utilises your skills of equine massage therapy and myofascial release
therapy to release the
effects it has created through the cranialsacral system. |
| Therefore,
equine cranialsacral therapy remains an intellectual skill, composed from
the therapists understanding of equine anatomy and science together with
the therapists intuition and astute awareness. |
| When
Problems Develop |
| Malfunctions
of the cranialsacral system create many physiological and emotional
consequences, often presented in a seemingly disguised form as the origins
of each malfunction radiate their consequential effects through the
cranialsacral system. Subsequently,
an injury or negative influence present within the head or neck can have
its influence transmitted through the cranial system ultimately affecting
the hindquarters, further encouraging respective degrees and forms compensatory muscular
and myofascial stress. |
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