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ALL ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT...

1. FINDING OUT ABOUT YOUR ANIMAL

Upon arrival, I will require some specific information to allow me to build a case study around your animal. For example, questions may be... is your animal currently on medication?, has your animal had any previous injuries? as well as some more basic information such as the age of your animal. 

2. STATIC ASSESSMENT

I will then begin my assessment which involves looking at your animal stood still. This will provide me with an overview of their confirmation and posture which may all link to later findings. 

3. DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT

I will then move onto a dynamic assessment. This will involve trotting up the animal, circling and backing up (equine). In conjunction with static assessment findings this will help build a picture as to why your animal may be moving a certain way, e.g. due to compensation. 

4. PALPATION

Palpation is a process we use to get hands on and feel the health status of the muscles. This is where we can find out whether muscles are tight, where muscle is being lost or whether there are areas of trigger points. During this time we will feel for the muscle tone, temperature, texture and tenderness. 

5. RANGE OF MOTION TESTS

This involves assessing joints in the limbs and neck to determine whether they have a normal range of motion or are restricted. Restrictions give either a hard end feel or a soft end feel. Hard end feel indicates a bone restriction such as osteoarthritis whilst a soft end feel indicates a soft tissue restriction such as a tight muscle. 

6. MASSAGE & STRETCHING APPLICATION

This will involve various techniques depending on the assessment findings. For example, effleurage will be used to warm the muscle and flush out waste product whilst compression will be used to help improve tight muscles. Stretching will be applied typically after massage to help improve tissue extensibility and encourage correct muscle fibre alignment. 

7. REPORT FINDINGS

The appointment will be wrapped up and I will provide you with an overview of my findings, explain the purpose of the application to the targeted areas and discuss steps to move forwards. 

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