Massage Techniques Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of my mini blog series on massage techniques.
Last week I discussed some of the primary massage techniques I use to calm the horse, get them used to my touch and warm the area I am going to be working on.
This week I am going to talk about 3 more techniques:
Wringing
Kneading
Compression
These 3 techniques all have their own uses and benefits and you will see me using a combination of these techniques during my equine massage treatments.
Wringing - during this technique the muscle is lightly and gently lifted, then wrung side to side. This movement efficiently increases circulation and also is very useful in fighting inflammation over the muscles. Wringing can be applied with one hand or two simultaneously in opposite directions.
I like to use wringing as part of my routine to warm the muscles I am going to be working on and I like to use the technique to feel what is going on beneath the skin and in the underlying structures.
In the image above I am applying one handed wringing to this pony’s hamstring muscle group.
Kneading - this is one of the main movements in massage, used to increase the circulation to the tissue and to soften the muscle tissue. It also prepares for deeper therapy.
Kneading can be applied with the palm of the hand on larger areas or the thumb or fingertips on smaller targeted areas.
In the image above I am using fingertip kneading along this horse’s crest.
Kneading also gives me the chance to really feel the skin and underlying structures and if there us any tension there that I may need further techniques to release. Sometimes however gentle kneading is just enough to loosen the muscle fibres and make the horse more comfortable.
Compression - this technique produces the same pumping effect and has the same benefits as kneading, and is used over large, bulky muscle areas, such as the hindquarters or the shoulders if well muscled.
Compression can be applied with the palm of the hand or with a lightly clenched fist and has body weight behind it, whilst still being gentle enough not to damage or bruise the muscle fibres.
In the above image you can see I am using the compression technique on this horse’s shoulder beginning at the top of the scapular and using the palm of my hand.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about some more of the massage techniques I used in my equine massage treatments.
In my next blog part 3 of 4 in this series I will be discussing a further 3 techniques.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to book a treatment for your horse please do not hesitate to get in contact. You can call or text me on 07557 008161 , email me info@jessicalimpkin.co.uk , PM on my Facebook Page or DM on Instagram.
Thanks so much
Jess x