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Equine Myofascial Release Therapy
(EMFRT)
What
is Fascia?
Fascia is a tough connective
tissue (CT), spread from head to hoof in a three-dimensional
web. It sheathes every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel
and organ, down to its respective cellular
level. 
What
is Fascia made of?
There are three basic
components to the fascial system:
-
Ground
substance + Collagen + Elastin
What is Fascia's
role?
The fascial system generally
supports, stabilizes, and cushions. It also is responsible for
movement. Muscle tissue is actually connective tissue
strands with attached biochemicals that produce fiber shortening
(muscle contraction).
What
are some problems of Fascia?
Alterations of the Fascial
System and tightening of Connective Tissue (CT) can cause
Musculoskeletal dysfunction and excessive neuromuscular activity
resulting a degenerative effect on the horse's movement. Over
time, left untreated, it slowly affects the quality and quantity of
motion (athletic ability) available to the horse.
Simply, the horse's performance suffers. It can also be a very
painful condition for the horse.
What
causes these problems?
Usually, some trauma causes
the Fascial System to tighten as a protective mechanism.
Trauma is a result of an acute (a tendon strain), chronic
(musculoskeletal compensation for some time), or recurrent
(repetitive injuries) episode. There are any number of
contributing factors:
-
poor conditioning, when
the horse is required to perform in a manner for which it's
muscle condition does not safely allow
-
incorrect saddle
fit
-
a locked pelvic girdle
causing back, neck or shoulder soreness
-
poor
training
-
unsafe footing (too
deep, hard or slippery), etc.
What
is Myofascial Release Therapy (MFRT) & How Does it
Work?
Though treatment
can encompass a myriad of modalities (see below), the purpose
of MFRT is to restore CT to a healthy state. Basically, it is
a hands-on technique that facilitates pliability into restricted
soft tissues. With the application of a sustained pressure to
the restricted tissue barrier, histological changes take place and
ground substance is released and returned from a solid to a gel
state, restoring length. This takes
pressure off the nerves and blood vessels, reducing the animal's
pain. The horse's natural abilities of coordination,
strength, and power are restored.
Here are some MFR treatment
modalities:
- Autonomic
techniques include subtle light, direct
digital pressure called Two-Pointing. This technique is
first applied to the deep transverse planes of fascia known as
diaphragms. These diaphragms are deep convex or concave horizontal
membranes. Once released, this allows for a gateway to
releasing fascial holding patterns. The autonomic nervous
system is the key to a successful approach regarding fascial
release.
- Mechanical techniques
utilize direct pressure friction strokes with contract-relax or
controlled movement techniques. Fascial compression, is the
cornerstone technique taught to bridge Mechanical technique with
Movement methods.
Movement techniques utilize
direct digital pressure, compression & stretches to follow
subtle or gross tissue motion which takes the form of fascial
somatic unwinding. These include spontaneous positional
releases & image-induced
movement.
How
can I help my horse?
If you believe
your horse may be experiencing problems with its fascial system, we
recommend that you contact Horse Holistics. We
are trained in Equine Myofascial Release
Therapy. Call (704)
896-6500.
Note: The information presented here is for
educational purposes only. It is not intended as a
substitute for veterinary advice. If you have any questions
concerning the health of your animal, please contact
your veterinarian.
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