Nancy Zidonis's Blog

Acupressure Point GV 4

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT SERIES #11: By Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute

Governing Vessel 4 (Acupressure point GV 4)

Pinyin Names – Ming Men, Jingong, Jiajiguan

English Translations – Gate of Life, Gate of Vitality, Place of Essence

Note: The Governing Vessel is also known as Du Mai

Some Chinese texts refer to Extraordinary Governing Vessel 4 as the place where the animal’s “spark” of life originated. The acupressure point GV 4 resides between the two Kidneys. It is said that this is where yin and yang combined to create life, hence it as seen as the location of the original yin and yang of the body. This is why GV 4 is considered a powerful acupoint and is commonly used in so many of the healing arts including Tibetan medicine, Hindu tantrism, and even Kabalistic Sefirot (netzach).

Acupoint Classification

Governing Vessel 4 is one of the Doorways to the Earth Points. This point affects the pelvic region of the animal’s body and especially the lower two orifices. It impacts the hormonal system and the emotions. In Chinese medicine it is seen as one of the “hinges” of the torso.

Acupressure point GV 4 is the meeting acupoint for the Bladder and Kidney Divergent channels. Because it is the connecting point for these two divergent channels, it has strong internal-external impact.

Governing Vessel 4 has no contraindications.

Energetic Actions

Acupressure point GV 4 tonifies Kidney yang, clears heat/fire, dispels internal wind, expels cold, dries dampness, benefits essence/Jing, regulates the Governing Vessel, strengthens the back and hind limbs, regulates water passages, replenishes blood, and clears the mind/shen.

Indicators / Clinical Signs

GV 4 can be included in an acupressure session when the animal presents with the indicators or clinical signs listed:

Pain, spasms, weakness or stiffness in the lumbar spine and/or hind limbs

Fever or febrile disease

Fatigue

Dizziness or head shaking

Fertility issues

Abdominal pain

Excessive fear or fright

Depression or shen disturbance

Seizures

Anal prolapse

Urinary incontinence

Location

Equine – Found on the dorsal midline in the depression between the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae.

 

Canine & Feline – Located on the dorsal midline between the spinous processes of the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae.

 

Vagus Nerve, Emotions & Mindfulness Practice

Vagus Nerve, Emotions and the Difficulty with Mindfulness Practices

Posted by Tracy A. Andrews, MSOM, LAc  –  Re-posted by Tallgrass Animal Acupressure

Vagus Nerve. Last week, during a two-day deep cleaning/paint prep binge (see the kitchen ceiling to the right!), I listened to a recorded talk by Bessel van der Kolk given at the May 2011 22nd Annual International Trauma Conference. The title of van der Kolk’s title is a mouthful: “Putting neuroplasticity into clinical practice with neurofeedback: rewiring the brains of children and adults who lack safety, self-regulation, capacity for play, and executive functioning.” The lecture in itself was interesting enough to keep me attentive for its length, but what particularly captured my interest is the manner in which he described the relationship of the vagus nerve to our emotions.

As I remembered from anatomy, the vagus nerve (cranial nerve x) innervates the diaphragm but what failed to register in class is that the vagus nerve also innervates much of our viscera – in fact all of our internal organs with the notable exception of the adrenal glands. It supplies parasympathetic fibers to these organs, meaning that the vagus nerve is a “rest and digest” nerve, not a fight or flight nerve. Van der Kolk quotes from Darwin’s work, “the heart, guts and brain communicate intimately via a nerve” – the pneumogastric or vagus nerve – “the critical nerve in the expression and management of emotions in both humans and animals…. When the mind is strongly excited it instantly affects the state of the viscera.” This is, of course, why our guts react strongly to our emotional state.

Van der Kolk continues with the statement that grabbed me: “what makes life unbearable is not emotions but physical sensations.”

“When you have a persistent sense of heartbreak and gutwrench, the physical sensations become intolerable and we will do anything to make those feelings disappear. And that is really the origin of what happens in human pathology. People take drugs to make it disappear, and they cut themselves to make it disappear, and they starve themselves to make it disappear, and they have sex with anyone who comes along to make it disappear and once you have these horrible sensations in your body, you’ll do anything to make it go away.”

“If these sensations last long enough, your whole brain starts fighting against emotions. And what happens in the long range is that traumatized people who continuously have a state of heartbreak and gut wrenching feelings learn to shut off the sensations in their bodies. And they go through life not feeling their physical presence.”

He then touches on a very important point and one that strongly resonates with me – “it’s a beginning of understanding why traumatized people have such a hard time with mindfulness and why mindfulness in principle doesn’t work for traumatized people because they cannot feel.” Van der Kolk had sent many of his highly traumatized patients to do mindfulness exercises with Jon Kabat-Zinn and found that many of them were returning in a state of upset and agitation.

“As they became silent and started to pay attention to themselves, they get overwhelmed with the physical sensations and they would flee, because being mindful means that you get confronted with your internal world.” In other words, the sensations of the internal world can be so intense that, lacking the tools to work through those sensations, people dissociate during mindfulness exercises. This is not limited to mindfulness exercises but happens in other types of movement, meditative, or healing practices, such as qigong, yoga or massage.

What van der Kolk has found to be a useful tool for moving through this difficulty is neurofeedback, which helps individuals learn to self-regulate by utilizing a feedback tool very similar to a video game that rewards the user for achieving target states such as relaxation, alertness, or focus (for more information on neurofeedback, see http://www.eeginfo.com/). While neurofeedback is a very useful tool and may be a major breakthrough in trauma recovery, it is not always easy to access. Although I am less familiar with them, there are other therapies such as Hakomi method and SomatoEmotional Release that help individuals work with the emotions and physical sensations that often trigger dissociation. A major focus of my studies at this point is to understand better how Chinese/Traditional East Asian medicine works with trauma and the emotions. I suspect that many different modalities can be useful for learning to be present and integrated with our bodies, but also argue that the role of the practitioner and power of intention are key ingredients in the process.

I also believe that bodywork and somatic re-education (acupuncture, massage, tuina, qigong, sotai, et) are essential components to releasing and restoring function to tissues and organs that have lost mobility due to years of fleeing from those physical sensations that van der Kolk describes. We may learn to stay present with our physical sensations, but if the diaphragm is hypertonic (or too tight, just like your shoulders) or the stomach can’t move properly in the abdominal cavity, we will have to work really hard to achieve calm presence when we could instead work to unblock stagnation and release tissues. However, the issue is often truly much more complex than this and healing for many people occurs not by a magic button but through many interwoven processes that may include acupuncture, movement work, EMDR, neurofeedback, nutritional counseling, talk therapy, and meditation or mindfulness practices.

I’ve been unable to get Van der Kolk’s talk out of my mind. Although none of the concepts are unfamiliar to me, there is a sense that I’m missing something or that this visceral-emotional relationship needs to be more closely explored. In Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM), the emotions closely affect and are affected by the viscera but I have yet to truly explore the many classical references to this relationship. Spending some time sitting with the classics may help shed some light on how and why acupuncture, moxibustion and other TEAM modalities have been known to treat trauma and shock.

 

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT #10: Gall Bladder 34

By Amy Snow & Nancy Zidonis, Tallgrass Animal Acupressure
GALL BLADDER 34

Pinyin Name –Yang Ling Quan

English Translations – Yang Hill Spring, Yang Mound Spring

Gall Bladder 34 (GB 34) is an amazing acupressure point and is a  good point for all animal acupressure practitioners because it supports the health of tendons and ligaments. Animals can only show us when they are lame due to a tendon or ligament repetitive or sudden injury. Our job is to do our best to detect imbalances that lead to weakness before an injury occurs.

When assessing an animal watch for ever-so-slight uneven muscle tone, gait issues, head, neck or tail carriage – anything that could possibly indicate a slight favoring of a limb. During the general physical palpation segment of the Four Examinations, do you feel any areas of inflammation? How do Bladder 18 and 19, the Association points for Liver and Gall Bladder respectively, feel?

When you talk with the animal’s guardian during the 3rd segment of the Four Examinations, find out how the animal is managing in his environment. Is he able to perform the sport or tasks expected of him? Can a dog jump into the car easily? Does the horse fault on a jump? Has the animal had a behavioral change? Listen for any indication of reluctance to perform a task that may demonstrate the animal is in pain due to a tendon or ligament issue.

There are many other reasons an animal may be in pain. Animals are honest creatures. By performing a thorough Four Examinations, you should be able to begin to isolate the issue.

Remember, horses do not have a Gall Bladder, however they do have Gall Bladder chi.  This means it would be best to support Gall Bladder chi in horses to help avoid imbalances. As one of the longest meridians in the body, it greatly affects musculoskeletal issues.

Acupoint Classification

This amazing acupressure point is also the Influential point, also called the “Convergent point,” for tendons and ligaments. This acupoint promotes the flexibility, suppleness, and agility of these tissues throughout the animal’s entire body.

Gall Bladder 34 is the He-Sea point for the Gall Bladder meridian. This is where the Gall Bladder energy collects before going into the “sea” of the body. This is why GB 34 is known to enhance the flow of Liver, Gall Bladder’s paired yin organ system, as well as the flow of Gall Bladder chi.

Energetic Actions

GB 34 is known to provide chi to the tendons, ligaments, and joints while Liver provides the blood to nourish the tendons, ligaments, and joints. This acupoint clears Damp Heat, resolves obstructions along the meridian, moves Liver chi, and relieves pain, a truly amazing acupressure point.

Indicators / Clinical Signs

GB 34 can be included in an acupressure session when the animal presents with the indicators or clinical signs listed:

Weakness, numbness, stiffness, or pain related to tendons/ligaments/joints
Hemiplegia (i.e., paralysis of one side of the body)
Pain in the hypochondrium (i.e., upper portion of the abdomen)
Rebellious Stomach chi   Jaundice
Jaundice

Location

Equine – Found at the interosseous (between 2 bones) space between the tibia and fibula, between the long and lateral digital extensors, craniodistal to the head of the fibula.

Canine & Feline – Lateral aspect of the hind limb, in the depression anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula.

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT SERIES #9:

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT – SPLEEN 6 (Sp 6)

Pinyin Name – San Yin Jiao

English Translations – Three Yin Meeting, Three Yin Intersection, Three Yin Crossing  

Spleen 6 is the acupressure point where the three hind leg meridians, Spleen – Kidney – Liver, intersect energetically. This amazing acupressure point is commonly used for a wide variety of issues from edema to insomnia. Sp 6 is such a powerful point that it is contraindicated during pregnancy because it can cause the fetus to be aborted. If, however, there’s a need to induce labor, Sp 6 can be effective.

Spleen 6 can be a tender acupoint because it’s in a sensitive location. It’s on the medial side of the animal’s hind leg below the stifle and above the medial malleolus (see locations below). We suggest just resting your finger on the point – light touch is suggested to avoid the horse, dog, or cat discomfort. If the animal indicates it is too tender, release it gently.

Acupoint Classifications

Spleen 6 is the Master point for the urogenital system and caudal abdomen. As a Master point, Sp 6 can be used in the Point Work segment of an acupressure session where the issue involves that anatomical region of the animal’s body.

Energetic Actions

Spleen 6 is known to strengthen Spleen, Stomach, and Kidney, while harmonizing Liver. It dispels dampness, regulates middle and lower Jiao (heaters, burners), cools and invigorates Blood, enhances Yin, regulates the estrus cycle and fertility, and calms the spirit (shen).

Indicators / Clinical Signs

Spleen 6 is a versatile acupoint and can be included in an acupressure sessions when the animal presents with any of the different indicators or clinical signs below:

Irregular estrus cycles, fertility/reproductive issues
Digestive disorders, abdominal distention
Edema
Muscular pain
Blood disorders
Skin disease
Prolapsed uterus
Hyperthyroidism
Spleen chi deficiency
Kidney yin deficiency
Insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, shen disturbances
Enuresis (i.e., involuntary urination), anuria (i.e. inability to urinate) dysuria (i.e., difficult or painful urination), or dark urination

Location

Equine – Found 3 cun above the medial malleolus, caudal to the tibial border on the medial aspect of the hind leg. Sp 6 is about 0.5 cun posterior to the saphenous vein of the hind limb.

Canine & Feline – Located 3 cun above the tip of the medial malleolus on the caudal border of the tibia.

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT SERIES #8:

Bladder 40 (Bl 40), or Urinary Bladder 40 (UB 40), or Foot Taiyang Bladder 40

Pinyin Name – Wei Zhong

English Translations – Entrusting Middle, Supporting Middle, Bend Middle,

Middle of the Crook

Bladder 40 (Bl 40) is an amazing acupoint and a commonly used acupoint in many complementary bodywork therapies including acupressure, acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine, Thai massage, Tibetan medicine, and Trigger Point Therapy. Because all of these medicines were derived from the rich resource of Chi Gong and traveled the Silk Road into other cultures, Bladder 40, as well as other acupoints, is used in so many therapies. The interesting thing to note is that all of these therapies use this acupoint for similar purposes.

Acupoint Classifications

Bladder 40 is the He-Sea point for the Bladder meridian. This means it’s the acupoint that leads the chi flow into the “sea” of the body. There’s a series of acupoints beginning with the Jing-Well point, Bladder 67 (Bl 67) of the Bladder meridian, where the well of chi bubbles up and begins its flow of chi along the meridian. Bl 40 is the last point where chi collects before flowing into the larger sea of chi in the body.

Bladder 40 is considered the Earth point on the Bladder meridian according to the Five-Element Theory (aka “Five Phases of Transformation”). Bl 40 is the Earth Command point, and thus represents the properties of Earth within the Bladder meridian. This is where Earth energy emanates along the Bladder meridian.

Bladder 40 is the Master point for the animal’s hindquarters. For your reference, in some texts Master points are called Gao Wu Command points. Master points benefit a physical region of the body and are included in acupressure sessions to enhance the effect of the session when there’s an issue related to a particular location.

Energetic Actions

Bladder 40 benefits the animal’s hindquarters, relieves pain, clears Heat, resolves Dampness, cools blood, clears Summer Heat, and activates the Bladder meridian.

Indicators / Clinical Signs

Bladder 40 can be included in acupressure sessions when the animal presents with any of following indicators or clinical signs:

Acute or chronic hindquarter weakness, muscle atrophy, paralysis, pain, spasms, or motor impairment

Abdominal pain, rebellious Stomach chi, or diarrhea

Enuresis (i.e., involuntary urination), dysuria (i.e., difficult or painful urination), or dark urination

Location

Equine – Located at the midpoint of the transverse crease of the popliteal fossa between the semitendinosus and biceps femoris muscles. Press in from the back of the horses stifle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canine & Feline – Located at the midpoint of the transverse crease of the popliteal fossa. Press in from the back of the dog or cat’s stifle.

 

The Cold Is Here. Canine Massage it away!

Denise Theobald, Chicago School of Canine Massage

The polar vortex of cold is upon us and during this time our bodies can take a beating. Our muscles shiver and tense, our teeth chatter, our hairs rise up and our hypothalamus works in overdrive in order to keep our vital organs warm.

Let’s be honest here. Cold weather is for the birds and even they migrate South!  While you’re waiting in the sub-zero temperatures for your bus or train, are you enjoying it or are you daydreaming about a tropical destination and a massage at the beach?  Getting to the tropical destination may not be an option, but a massage is. Imagine yourself lying on a cushy heated table in a calming room, while a talented massage therapist warms your tissue and melts your tightness and soreness away.

Cold weather stresses the body and stress subsequently tightens our muscles, immobilizes our joints, creates imbalance and makes us bundles of pain, trudging through the tundra. This scenario is also true with our four- legged companions. There is little scientific research on the subject, but animal care givers everywhere have noted the same behavior in their animals as themselves, including stiffness, soreness and exacerbated arthritic pain. Our dogs benefit from a canine massage too!

There are some common sense tips for keeping your dog warm.  For outside activities you should dress your pets accordingly. This may include sweaters, coats, boots etc.  Puppies, geriatric and very small dogs should be kept indoors during extreme cold.  Utilizing a pee pad during this time or putting a pad right outside your door will not break your dogs’ housetraining. Keeping dogs hydrated is crucial as dehydration can contribute to myofascial constriction and soreness. Keep your house warm enough or provide extra bedding for warmth. Don’t hesitate to feed your pets “warm” foods.

Massage therapy can be great tool for alleviating the stress of cold weather, muscle stiffness and arthritic pain. Using direct massage before and after going outside with your dog, warms up the  tissue so that it functions at its fullest capacity which means the muscle is contracting and relaxing at its normal resting length. When your muscles get cold they contract, which inhibits blood flow and limits movement.  This lack of movement   is not good for joints and can aggravate already diseased joints.

What kind of massage can we do for our pets?  Whether your pet goes outside or not, massage is important.  A couple minutes of gentle compression on larger muscle groups will warm the tissue which in turn helps them move better.  Compression massage is particularly useful if the pet is cold or coming in from the outside. Light gentle compression strokes will warm the tissue and pump fresh blood and oxygen into the tissue.  This in turn allows better movement at the joints which will keep excessive fluid out of inflamed joints and nourish them.

A full therapeutic massage provided by a professional can alleviate trigger points, myofascial constriction and chronic pain which all contribute to the degenerative process of arthritis.

Cold and stress are triggers of myofascial pain and dysfunction in our pets.  The less triggers the better and we can manage these conditions in our pets.

One in five dogs and 90% of senior cats suffer from arthritis and just like humans, the cold weather revs up our arthritic symptoms. Our pets can’t tell us, but they often show us. They don’t complain like us, but they tell us in small ways. They don’t run to the medicine cabinet or pick up the phone to make a massage appointment, but they’re feeling the effects of the winter weather just as much as us.

So during this cold weather season make sure to bundle up, keep warm and get a massage. It’s good for both of you!

For more information on providing compression techniques for your pet, visit this video on our Youtube Channel.

AMAZING ACUPRESSURE POINT #7:

Governing Vessel 26  (GV 26), aka Du 26

English name – Water Trough

Pinyin Name – Shui Gou / Renzhong

Some text refers to Governing Vessel 26 as the “First Aid” acupoint because it can be used for an animal experiencing a traumatic event such as:

Loss of Consciousness
Respiratory Arrest
Shock
Cardiac Arrest
Seizures
Heatstroke
Mania / Shen disturbance
Collapsed Yang

Location:

Because of its location on horses, dogs, and cats we advise you err on the side of safety when using GV 26. You don’t want to be bitten or injured. The animal would not intend to hurt you but when in a traumatic state, he may not be aware of his reactions.

Horses – GV 26 is located just below the nostrils on the dorsal-cranial midline.

Dogs & Cats – GV 26 is found on the vertical line on the upper lip at the level of the lower edge of the nostrils.

It is said that GV 26 is located at the junction of the Governing and Conception Vessels, which is why it is so effective when there’s an a separation of yin and yang. Loss of consciousness is characterized as a separation of yin and yang.

Additionally, GV 26 is considered the Meeting Point where the Governing Vessel converges with Large Intestine and Stomach Meridians.

Other Functions and Energetics:

Due to its location, GV 26 has a host of functions. This acupoint can be used for facial swelling or paralysis, motion sickness, lip tremors, mouth and gum problems, nasal infection, TMJ issues, fright/panic, and acute lumbar pain.

The energetics of GV 26 includes: cools heat, clears the senses, calms the shen, promotes resuscitation, eliminates internal wind, and benefits the lumbar spine.

Given the range and power of GV 26, it’s a handy and truly amazing acupressure point to have at the ready!

Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute, Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis

Acupressure and Massage Benefit Equine Cervical Issues

By Denise Theobald, CSCM and Tallgrass Publishers

There are so many ways a horse may injure its cervical vertebrae or damage the muscles and tendons of the neck, from participation in demanding sports, being ridden with ill-fitting tack, being ridden improperly, by pulling back when tied, trailering, and more.

Such injuries often present as:

•    Restricted or painful neck movement

•    Unusual or inappropriate head carriage

•    Difficulty raising or lowering the head

•    Lameness or swelling

Massage and acupressure can combine to provide your horse with an effective and efficient means of resolving pain, relieving lameness, and restoring a balanced flow of chi throughout the body, allowing for the animal to restore his health and well-being.

After you have had your horse attended to by your holistic veterinarian and they have indicated that the injury is of a musculoskeletal or bone bruise nature, you may want to use the methods described below to assist your horse in its healing.

With acupressure we’ll want to use distal (away from the injury site), and adjacent (near the injury site) acupoints first. By doing so we reduce the possibility of aggravating the injury or increasing anxiety in the horse.

Distal Acupoints for Cervical Issues

•  Lu 7 is the Master for the head and neck, and its benefits include relieving cervical stiffness and neck pain. It is located on the medial aspect of the foreleg, at the level of the lower border of the chestnut, making it an excellent distal point for neck issues.

•  SI 3 is known to relax sinews and alleviate pain, and it benefits stiffness and neck pain. It is located in a depression at the distal end of the lateral spent bone on the caudolateral border of the cannon bone.

Adjacent Acupoints for Cervical Issues

•  GB 21 facilities chi flow, bringing nutrients and blood to the injured area, and it benefits shoulder and neck pain. It is located at the midpoint of the cranial edge of the scapula.

•  GV 14 benefits cervical pain and strengthens the immune system. It is located on the dorsal midline in a depression between the 7th cervical and 1st thoracic vertebrae, cranial to the highest point of the withers.

Use these local points as your horse allows. Be aware of and sensitive to your horse’s comfort level, move into the point very gently, or work off-body until your horse invites you to move closer.

Local Acupoints for Cervical Issues

•  Bl 10 dispels Wind and Cold and benefits neck stiffness. Located 2 cun off dorsal midline in a depression caudal to the wings of the atlas.

•  GB 20 relieves internal wind and benefits cervical stiffness. Located in the large depression caudal to the occipital condyle.

Acupressure Point Work Techniques

Begin Point Work using the direct-thumb technique. Place the ball of your thumb on the acupoint at a 45 to 90-degree angle to your horse’s body. Or, anchor your middle finger on top of your pointer finger and apply gentle pressure. When you feel resistance, let up on the point slightly and then lightly apply pressure again.

Keep both hands on the horse. One hand does the Point Work while the other feels the reactions such as muscle twitches, yawning, shaking, stretching, and other energy releases. The hand not performing Point Work rests comfortably on the horse.

Breathe out while moving into the acupoint; breathe in when letting up on the point. Stay on the point for a slow count to 20. If the horse seems uncomfortable with a particular acupoint, move on and try it again at the next session.

Massage Techniques for Equine Cervical Issues

Gently warm muscles first by placing the entire palmar aspect of your hand on the side of the horse’s neck starting at the poll and then stroking down to the withers. Come up in the opposite direction and back down again. After a few of these effleurage strokes, grip the top of the dorsal midline of the horse (nuchal ligament) and gently pull up while jostling the tissue back and forth. You may do this with one hand or two hands. As you work with the tissue, you will notice more movement in it.  Next, move to the ventral side of the horse’s neck and gently take hold of the brachiocephalicus muscle, a large developed muscle responsible for drawing the neck down. Hold the tissue for a few seconds and then begin gentle jostling.

After completing the jostling techniques, take the palm of your hand and, using a compressive movement, pump lightly in and out along the lateral neck muscles including the cervical trapezius, rhomboids and splenius muscles, being careful not to work directly over the cervical spine. As you gently pump, you will notice more “give” in the tissue which will allow a little more pressure. When more movement is available in the tissue, lean into it and twist the palm of your hand in a circular motion. Once you complete the compression techniques, finish by using effleurage strokes again from the poll to the withers.

Next, move to the horse’s masseter muscle and temporal mandibular joint (TMJ). The masseter muscle which is a primary muscle that closes the jaw and TMJ directly affects tension in the neck and shoulder area and can be the focus of massage instead of directly working the neck muscles if they are injured or swelling is present.  Place the pads of your fingers directly on the joint and hold gently. Once the tissue starts to soften, gently apply superficial circular friction, taking note of the horse’s response. Your goal is not to dig into the tissue but to move the tissue around the joint. If the horse pulls away, lighten up the pressure.

End your session with range of motion techniques.  You can do this by engaging the horse into lateral, and flexion and extension of the head and neck. These active movements by the horse can also be used in the beginning of the session to assess initial range of motion.

What’s in a Smell?

By:  Amy Snow, Tallgrass Animal Acupressure

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we use an assessment technique called “The Four Examinations.” The Four Examinations are: Observation, Listening / Smelling, Inquiry or History, and Physical Palpation. This method of data collection about the animal leads to identifying a pattern of disharmony. The TCM practitioner must have highly refined, keen senses to perform each of these examinations as well as the knowledge and depth of experience to interpret his or her findings.

Recently, the Tallgrass Practitioner Google group has been chatting about odors because Danielle Flynn in Western Australia asked a good question about a dog reported to have a strong odor. Other practitioners gave her excellent responses including a list of the five odors associated with the Five-Element Theory by Margarat Nee in California.

Given the interest among the practitioners, we thought we would take a closer look at how odors can be interpreted during the assessment process. Listening and Smelling are linked in the Four Examinations possibly because they are both so immediately sensed without having to think about them. Though to interpret them, it does require a breadth of knowledge and understanding of Chinese medicine. Another reason often given for Listening and Smelling being paired is that the symbol for each is the same in Chinese.

Generally speaking, strong odors are related to heat conditions or patterns while lack of odor is indicative of cold syndromes or patterns. For instance, when you go by your garbage in the summer you’re more apt to smell it than in the winter. That said – if your horse’s manure doesn’t smell or your dog’s stool doesn’t smell, this indicates he is experiencing a cold pattern because feces are supposed to have some smell. The opposite of a cold pattern is a heat pattern and that’s when the animal’s stool has distinctly strong odor.

Body odors can be detected in the breath, stools, urine, sweat, and discharges from orifices. From abnormal odors, trained TCM practitioners can readily identify an imbalance of yin, yang, chi, and blood related to a specific organ from abnormal odors. Plus, they can tell if the smell indicates an excess or deficient pattern. Here are some examples:

Bad breath may indicate indigestion, food stagnation (both are considered Stomach Heat) or a mouth infection
Strong smelling urine may indicate Damp Heat possibly related to Bladder, Kidney, and/or the lower abdomen, and
Foul smelling stools or diarrhea may be a clinical sign of Damp Heat in the Large Intestine.

The Five – Element Theory associations related to olfaction are as follows:

Rancid “goatish” odors are related to the Liver
Scorched or burned odors are related to the Heart
Fragrant, heavy-sweet odors are related to the Spleen
Rank or rotten odors are related to the Lung
Putrid odors are related to the Kidney

Though most of us have difficulty discerning the difference between some of these odors, we usually can quickly identity a particularly bad skin infection (Damp Heat) or an ear with a yeast infection (Damp Heat).  This is how to start to learn how to differentiate smells – keep smelling and learning!

The Art and Science of Canine Massage

 

Recently, I have been stewing over some information that has come out in the veterinary community regarding integrative therapies and canine rehabilitation therapy. First, let me explain what integrative therapies are and exactly what rehabilitation means.

Integrative therapies are health care treatments proven safe and effective through clinical and scientific evidence. They are most often used together with conventional medicine to treat the whole body. Integrative therapies include practices such as acupuncture, acupressure, nutrition, herbology, massage therapy and various forms of bodywork, meditation, biofeedback, chiropractic or spinal manipulation, homeopathy, aromatherapy, energy modalities, vibrational therapy, and all modalities used in rehabilitation. The list constantly changes as new and proven therapies become accepted as mainstream treatment options.

Veterinary rehabilitation therapy adapts human physical therapy techniques to increase the function and mobility of joints and muscles in animals as well as the body as a whole. Veterinary rehabilitation can improve quality of life by reducing pain and enhancing recovery from injury, surgery, degenerative diseases, age-related diseases, and obesity.  The goal of veterinary rehab is to restore a body’s function to its previous state or to maintain the best function possible for the individual. Veterinary rehab practitioners use treatments such as aqua-therapy, cold laser therapy, acupuncture, cryotherapy, thermotherapy, shockwave therapy, massage therapy, and physical therapy exercises when working with their canine clients.

I am excited that all the treatments above are now being recognized and proven as viable forms of therapy in both the human and animal worlds. Do note, though, that our culture has taken a very long time to accept many of these modalities and treatments.

Massage therapy is one of the modalities that has struggled the most to become accepted because the results of this work are hard to measure in a controlled environment – it is very difficult to analyze and quantify what happens to a body as a whole when it receives massage, or to measure hormonal release and neurological processes that occur as a result of touch or tactile sensory input. Current research studies are attempting to examine some of these physiological effects; however, it is impossible to measure the subjective human/animal element of this work. The information that can be measured is now being acknowledged in the animal world by veterinary professionals, and canine massage is slowly becoming accepted in the veterinary community at large and particularly in the veterinary rehabilitation community.

When I started my human massage career 27 years ago, massage therapy was the last modality to gain respect in the physical therapy field. Today, if a physical therapist or rehabilitation center does not offer various forms of human massage, they are considered incomplete. The medical, physical therapy, pain management, and rehab communities in the human health care world recognize the value of massage.  Unfortunately, the veterinary community still has long strides to make when it comes to appreciating the value of massage and touch therapies, however, the veterinary rehabilitation world is really starting to come around. This is good news, but in some ways, it’s deflating because even as articles are being written of the importance of canine massage, their focus is on a strictly science-based perspective of massage’s many benefits. The research does not yet give credit to the art inherent in our work.

Another concerning situation is the way canine massage therapy is being promoted to the medical, rehabilitation and general communities at large. Many believe that being able to provide canine massage therapy requires that one merely learn a few massage techniques, some basic anatomy, and a few pre-designed protocols for applying the techniques. The message is that massage is easy to learn and can be done by anyone who takes an online course or reads a book on canine massage. This is absolute hogwash. This approach to massage therapy would be unheard of in the human medical community where there are strict education, national certification, and licensure requirements.

We are not quite there yet with all of these requirements in the canine/veterinary community. What I do know, however, is this: unless they have had extensive training and experience that says otherwise, veterinarians, vet technicians, animal rehabilitation technicians, groomers, trainers, or any other canine professionals are not automatically qualified to be professional animal massage therapists or body workers. Taking a 6 hour online class or reading a book about canine massage is not even a fraction of what is needed to do this work safely and effectively.

Any person who interacts with and touches animals in the way a massage therapist does needs to learn the art of this work and its application. Reading how to do something is not the same as doing it. Taking a test on which techniques are best in various contexts is not the same as knowing how to apply this knowledge in a real-world situation. The most important aspect of canine massage is being able to understand animal behavior and learning how to gain permission and trust from the animal. A large part of what we do as canine massage therapists is intuitive and takes time and experience to cultivate. None of this can be learned from a book.

We know that the work of canine massage therapy is becoming increasingly accepted and appreciated as an important component of companion animal care. What must be understood, though, is that this work offers many more benefits to dogs than what has been scientifically proven, and that it encompasses a great deal more than a few techniques and protocols. Those of us who provide this type of specialized care continue to work toward helping the veterinary community understand and respect that what we do requires knowledge, time, intuitive cultivation and experience, and that it is just as much an art form as it is a scientifically-proven modality. Instead of working from our heads, we work from our hearts, then our hands and finally from all of the knowledge learned through the years.