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People have been
massaging, rubbing and kneading their pets and horses for centuries. They
have been aware that in doing so they have been able, in some cases, to affect
or enhance healing in musculoskeletal injuries in their animals.
For the last century the
human specialty of physical therapy has been applying these principles with
excellent results.
From the point of view of
the veterinary medical field, physical therapy, massage, Rolfing, and trigger
point massage, all fall within the realm of "non-specific or feel-good
therapies" that may or may not have any basis in medical science.
They are considered to be possibly helpful but a definitive application-benefit
is not readily apparent.
Not to be confused with
Equine Myofascial Release developed by M.F. Barnes, MPT that is a manual
technique, Veterinary Myofascial Release has been developed for all mammals and
uses an instrument.
Instrument vs. Hands
Why use an
instrument? Tools allow Dr. St. Clair to do the job faster and more
effectively. Some aspects of myofascial release are only available though
the use of an instrument, taking full advantage of the technology.
Instrument application also reduces the subjective aspects of myofascial release
in favor of a more objective means of treatment and evaluation.
The instrument is well
tolerated by the animals treated. The reason they are more prone to accept
the device as opposed to hands-on physical therapy is that the device can be
applied in a pleasant and light fashion that can increase as the pet becomes
used to it. Also the time duration of the device application is much less
and at a less intense level of force so again the animal is more
cooperative. In general, an instrument work better and faster.
Why is it so effective?
It is important to note
that this technology assumes that all the subluxations are handled first and the
the muscles and connective tissues pathology are treated afterwards, as it is
the subluxation that holds the connective tissue tension pathology in
place. Physical therapists suggest that myofascial release is in and of
itself a complete treatment, but from a scientific perspective, the myofascial
tension had to come from somewhere and that somewhere has to be the subluxation
phenomenon.
Continual and extensive
manual therapies will in some cases effectively reduce the subluxations and
thereby affect a healing solution, but the predictability is not high and the
amount of physical work is extensive. It makes more sense to first reduce
all the subluxations, as they are the culprits anyway, and then further handle
the lingering effects of the subluxations with veterinary myofascial
release. The VOM adjustment takes care of what is holding the myofascial
tension and the veterinary myofascial release handles the tension that is left
in the muscle organ.
Veterinary Myofascial
Release theory
How does it work?
Through the generalized cybernetic principle, that essentially states that all
the tissues of the body are connected to each other and when one part is
affected, the other parts are or can be affected. Conversely, one should
be able to affect a change in one part of the body by affecting another.
This intercommunication of tissues is called "bio-cybernetics".
Communication thought out the body is done through the extracellular fluid and
tissues looked at as a dynamic matrix. This is a system of healing that
seeks to re-establish communication, in this case it does so by rehabilitation
the communication ability of this extracellular matrix, which happens to be
connective tissues.
What is the
Myofascia?
Essentially myofascia is
the muscle and the connective tissue sheaths that surround them. Also it
is the connective tissues that attaches them to bone. As part of all
connective tissues in the body, it plays a huge role in the extracellular
communication mentioned above. Muscle is composed of muscle fascicles
housing muscle fibers that house muscle fibrils.
Fascia is composed of
three components: ground substance, collagen, and elastin. The ground
substance is what surround every cell and is in direct communication with each
cell. It creates the interstitial space that transfers information into
and out of the cells via specialized chemicals and transport mechanisms.
Through Veterinary
Myofascial Release, the animals' cells are being restored functional integrity
to the myofascia and a re-communication.
In injured tissues of the
body, the connective tissues undergoes a change from a gel, it's normal state,
to a sol or a solid, non-communicating substance. This occurs when the
ground substance of the connective tissue is exposed to electromagnetic fields
that induce the pathological conversion of the piezoelectric dipolar molecules
of the extracellular matrix to the non-communicative "sol"
state. Conversion, by whatever means necessary, back to the communicative
"gel" state, then affords a "re-communication" and thus is
the goal of Veterinary Myofascial Release on the cellular level.
The Goal of Veterinary
Myofascial Release
Of course by converting
the solidified connective tissue back to communicative gel we achieve
cellular relief of the pathological even, and healing ensues.
Muscle spasms and
increased muscle tonus are major cases of the disease states treated with VOM.
These muscle spasms may not release as soon as the subluxatoin is reduced.
It may take days to weeks before these muscles can calm down and remain
normal. To this is the major application of Veterinary Myofascial Release
in that it immediately relieves the accompanying muscle and fascial tension
afforded by the subluxation in the first place. This creates dramatically
quicker results.
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Immediate relief of
muscle spasm due to subluxation
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Pain reduction due to
muscle spasm
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Decreased
re-subluxation due to muscle spasm and the animal "guarding its
motion"
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