A Comprehensive Summary to Equine Craniosacral Therapy. What is it? Why apply it?
I use a combination of modalities and therapies during equine bodywork sessions in order to tackle a variety of issues or pathologies. "Craniosacral therapy" often yields great questions and talking points. Let's dive into the what, how, and why's of craniosacral work, and the numerous benefits it holds for our horses.
Becoming Familiar with Craniosacral Therapy
First off, craniosacral therapy isn't quite the same as massage. Equine massage deals with muscle groups through applied pressure and various techniques that your certified muscle therapist is trained to administer during a session. Craniosacral therapy is a non-invasive, gentle yet surprisingly efficacious way of administering light touch, which stimulates the normalization of central nervous system. That's a big deal!
The equine body is home to an intricate and delicate central nervous system which is sheltered by what is called the craniosacral system. This system runs from top of your horse to end of your horse: the skull-cranial vault, cervical spine (C1-C7), thoracic spine (T1-T18), Lumbar spine (L1-L6), Sacral spine (S1-S5), Coccygeal spine (Ca1-up to 22), and finally, the pelvis.
Applying Craniosacral Therapy
The gentle touch applied to areas of the equine head and body relieve pain and stress. The flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system can become "irritated" or disrupted through the demands of domesticated life.
Craniosacral work, when properly administered, will help restore your horse to his parasympathetic state (a state of rest and relaxation), which is ideal. Further, the therapy will reduce the "fight or flight" state of mind, bringing the horse into a calm state that promotes healing and wellness.
Craniosacral work is typically done with the fingertips and palms of the hands, with very little motion, as there is no manipulation of tissue or fascia during a session. Instead, the very gentle pressure is generally held in place, and will allow the horse's body to restore normal nervous functionality.
Craniosacral therapy works well with massage, in that both help restore balance to the horse's body and systems of the body, and help the horse relax. This "R&R" state allows the body to heal whereas when the systems of the body are stressed, this often blocks pathways, and inhibits or slows the body's natural healing processes and immunities.
How Does Craniosacral Therapy Help My Horse?
One thing that immediately comes to mind is the fact that some horses are nervous in general or "high spirited" and craniosacral work is an excellent way to gently calm a horse in this nervous or "high-headed" state. It can be used to prepare the horse for other forms of bodywork in that some horses just don't do as well with massage techniques during a session.
Massage and craniosacral therapy can work well together to bring full balance to the horse's body. Also, many common conditions or injuries can be improved upon with craniosacral therapy such as horses with TMJ pain, sinus or eye problems, spinal and lumbar issues, pinched nerves or nerve issues, injuries caused by pulling back, poll and facial injuries, strange or unexplained behaviors such as a horse that is seemingly hyper-alert or "spooky", dental-related pain, and more.
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