Myth #4: My animal isnʼt working hard right now, so thereʼs no point in a massage.

Myth #4: My animal isnʼt working hard right now, so thereʼs no point in a massage.

While it's true that hard work and athletic activity is a great reason to offer your pet or horse a massage, there are also many benefits for less active animals. In fact, in some cases it may be especially useful during these times. Regular and vigorous exercise offers all of us many important health benefits, but sometimes it doesn't seem to happen for stretches of time, for whatever reason. (I know I've been feeling the consequences of this lately, and my body is definitely feeling the difference!) These exercise benefits help not only our muscles and joints, but also our organs and immune system, not to mention our mental and emotional well-being.

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Copyright © 2010 All About Animal MassageReasons for lack of activity might be due to:

• an injury, illness or surgery • advanced age • the weather or season • or the busy schedule of the

owner or trainer

Massage is one way to offer your animal some of the same health benefits during times that exercise is limited. If your animal is healthy and simply inactive, the massage may be quite similar to their usual massage. During times of recovery from injuries and illnesses, or for older animals, special techniques and modalities may be used instead of or in addition to more standard massage. For example, your massage therapist may have special training to work with scar tissue or areas of swelling. He or she may also be able to offer techniques such as acupressure or Reiki during times that regular massage may be contraindicated (not appropriate).

Whether you'd like to offer therapeutic touch for your animal, or enlist the support of a professional, or both, remember that some form of touch is almost always beneficial. The question is which techniques are going to be most helpful (and not cause harm) for your animal's unique needs. I encourage you to explore the answer to this question throughout your animal's life, whatever their level of activity. I'm sure you'll find it a rewarding and educational adventure!