Author Archives: Julia

Musings of an Osteopath Part I

Chris Bates  M.Ost  DipAO  EEBW  BHSAI

Join me on a journey into my thoughts (not as disturbing as it sounds) about Osteopathy, medicine, and the healing arts. This is part one of a series that I hope to make a regular feature.

As we delve into the world of Osteopathy, it is common to come across questions and barriers to our development. At times like these it is always useful to take a moment to reflect.

Remember that a crisis is a call to action for change or an opportunity to learn. Let me assure you that reflection is a powerful tool especially when written down or shared with others. So, yes, this is helping me as much as it is you but hey, why miss the opportunity to develop myself too?

My early exposure to Osteopathy

My first experience of Osteopathy was seeing an equine Osteopath treating a horse at my college. After leaving school, I attended agricultural college to train for a national diploma in horse management and to complete my British Horse Society (BHS) qualifications. I intended to become a trainer and teacher and had a specialist interest in dressage.

During one semester in my second year, we had a day when equine practitioners of various disciplines visited the college to present their profession and answer our questions. The intention for this was to offer students a chance to learn about the different careers that their diploma may prepare them to move into (with further training of course).

We had seen a Farrier, a Nutritionist, two Race Grooms, a Vet, and several therapeutic practitioners and quite honestly, we were all getting rather tired as it was a long day of listening.

So, one would have thought that by this point my brain was already saturated with information. It was, however, the Osteopath who was presenting last and she re-ignited my mind instantly. We first listened to the Osteopath explain to us what she does and give an introduction to what Osteopathy actually is.

She exuded a sense of calm and composure even whilst remaining engaging and interesting. Over the years, I have come to realize that many of the best Osteopaths I know also exude this same calm. Some of the other students had already switched off from the long day but I was riveted to everything she had to say. I was deeply curious about her description of a “different paradigm” to health.

After her talk in the classroom, we all moved to the stables where she demonstrated an Osteopathic examination and treatment on one of the college horses. Her way of explaining everything she was looking at and doing was complex but understandable.

She had a way of making the confusing concepts seem easy to comprehend. As she said to me later, however, “Perhaps you were just ready to hear what I had to say and so grasped the Osteopathic viewpoint”.

I was totally absorbed in her demonstration and full of questions. I had begun mentally connecting the dots about my own health struggles as a teenager with hypermobility and chronic pain. So many things that had once been a mystery to me were making sense, a truly “Eureka” moment.

After her presentation, it was the end of the day at college and some practitioners had stayed to answer student questions. I think I completely monopolized the Osteopath for my questions but she was only too happy to speak with me.

I said that I had to learn more and was very interested in becoming an Osteopath too. She described how at the time, the only way in was to become a human Osteopath first which here in the UK is a four-year Masters level education with over 1000 hours of clinical practice and is a statutorily regulated primary healthcare profession.

Initially, my heart sank a little as I was only really interested in working with horses. I had set my sights and was sure that, eventually, I would get there.

Taking the plunge into Osteopathy

It would actually be years before I took the plunge and became an Osteopath. At college, I did qualify as a riding instructor and I worked in many equestrian roles enjoying every second. I had a wonderful time building my experience and reputation in the horse industry.

I did however eventually go for it and I completed my Integrated Master’s Degree in Osteopathic Medicine. I actually really enjoyed treating humans. I was asked back the same year I graduated to teach the degree course. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching Osteopathic principles and techniques and running my own human clinic.

During my career in the horse industry, I tried another therapeutic discipline and trained as an Equine Bodyworker. I had been treating horses as a bodyworker for almost 9 years by the time I became an Osteopath. But the bodyworker training lacked that Osteopathic process that had so sparked my interest.

Once I had my Degree in Osteopathic Medicine, I went on to meet Professor Stuart McGregor, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now here I am, an Osteopath for people and animals, but I felt that there was a pathway missing for people who wanted to become animal Osteopaths without the tortuous route I took.

LCAO fills that gap by offering education in animal Osteopathy without the requirement to be human-trained first. I agreed with this intention and so began working for LCAO.

The odd beginnings of the animal therapy industry

It would come as a surprise to you if you went to visit your local family doctor for a checkup and they also offered to check your dog over wouldn’t it? Perhaps there are some Doctors out there who are also Vets, but I would imagine they are very few and far between.

Yet in the early days of animal therapy as an industry, dual practice was commonplace. When a new profession starts out, there have to be pioneers who create and innovate. Our very own Prof’ Stuart McGregor was the first Osteopath to write their dissertation on the application of Osteopathy to animals.

In an industry where there are no courses in animal Osteopathy, the first practitioners had to be Human-trained and then transfer their methods to animal patients. However, this strangely led to animal therapy courses being created that required human training.

It would seem to me to be counterintuitive in some regards as would it not make more sense to commit more hours and effort into studying the actual animals you plan on becoming an expert in than the humans you may not wish to work with?

Think of it this way, if a person has extensive time and experience with horses during their training, they may catch the signs that another person may miss.

LCAO has created a pathway for people to train solely on animals should they wish to. As Osteopathy is a lens through which we view the patient, its principles and philosophy do not change just because of the type of creature we are seeing. Yes, this means there is a lot of crossover in the work with humans.

As courses that were first developed were reserved for those with human therapy training, a bias and perhaps elitism evolved from this. Of course, being the first course does not automatically denote quality over any others developed subsequently; however, there was some animosity growing in the industry.

People who ran or graduated from the courses open only to human therapy-trained practitioners began to feel angry that people were creating courses that did not require human training. Perhaps they felt protective over their vocation and were irritated that they had to go through a whole section of training that in reality wasn’t relevant in most cases.

The word was often spread by the human-trained practitioners that people graduating from these animal-only courses were not sufficiently trained or were somehow lesser. Of course, this made no sense but unfortunately, animal owners were often sucked into this belief and would continue to spread the misinformation.

Due to the division in the industry, many animal-only trained practitioners found it tricky to get a foothold in their chosen careers. Even some Vets were swayed by the misinformation from the human-trained practitioners and would only refer to them.

Often, the best way to combat this type of thing is through proof and performance and not by simply reacting with argument. Courses for animal-only practice developed with extensive input from industry leaders and researchers.

Links were formed with universities and standards were created to rival the most robust human practice degrees. The courses spoke for themselves. As many of the courses for human-trained students and their graduates had devoted much of their time to argument and disruption, the animal-only courses and practitioners committed to self-development, industry progression, quality in practice, and research. It was then that the human practitioner courses realized they were being left behind.

I myself chose an animal-only course in Equine Bodywork as my first step into animal therapy because that course is very high quality and high level. Those courses are even part of the professional training for the degree students at the university they use for course delivery.

I had actually trained in human sports massage prior to this, so I could have attended the human-trained courses but chose the one with the highest standard of learning.

Is Human training worth it? 

It would be disingenuous of me to pretend that human therapy training isn’t useful in some cases. In the equine world, human therapy training can be extremely useful as many of the issues that arise in horses can be a result of the rider.

Being able to assess a rider and observe them in the saddle can provide vital information. Of course, then one can also treat the rider which provides a separate income stream and can help the owner/rider feel they are getting the “whole package”.

However, it is highly recommended that equine therapists work closely with any trainers and instructors and this would mean rider assessment can be done by the instructor and then discussed with the therapist. This would be equally likely to make the rider feel they receive holistic service simply by the therapist communicating and networking well with other professionals.

It is much less likely that the human will affect a dog directly with their posture for example, but consider the owners’ activity levels and mobility. If the owner is struggling with their movement and some pain, they might not be providing the dog with adequate exercise and enrichment. This is a subject that can be discussed with the owner and perhaps a referral made for them to receive treatment.

One could also argue that humans can give you verbal feedback on your manual techniques and help you to develop your palpation and treatment skills. This could provide a therapist with a clear understanding of where to put their focus in continued training. So it’s clear that one would be foolish to completely discount one form of training pathway for another simply due to allegiances for example.

I would say that the main reason to consider human therapy training is if you wish to treat humans and you want to split your time. There is no necessity to do so though, and many of the world’s most highly regarded and busy animal therapists do not treat humans at all. It comes down to personal choice. Clients will choose you because they resonate with you, the key is finding your truth and living that.

Final thoughts

I am an Osteopath for people and animals and I love both. I use a lot of knowledge I gained from human training in my animal work and in my teaching. However, I am beyond pleased that LCAO and other discipline colleges now offer animal-only training.

The important thing is that there should be choice. Animal welfare is supported thoroughly with either avenue of training. Should you wish to work only with dogs or small animals, I would personally argue there is little reason for you to train on people first.

If you have an interest in rider biomechanics and equestrian sport, you can achieve much of the knowledge you need for that in continued professional development without having to undertake arduous human therapy training too.

To decide, you need to look at what you actually want to do in clinical practice. If you enjoy working directly with people then training to treat them too can offer a nice split to your working week.

LCAO is here to offer you quality animal Osteopathy training regardless of which route you wish to take. For more information on the International Diploma in Animal Osteopathy (Int’l DipAO), click here

By Rachel Pechek, LCAO instructor, and Kalie Larson, LCAO Animal Osteopathy Student

‍

Four core principles. They are the foundation of Osteopathic Medicine. We, as osteopaths, view the body as a complex, constantly changing, and interconnected system, where issues in one area can result in complications and compensatory responses elsewhere. London College of Animal Osteopathy student, Kali Larson, and LCAO Pre-clinical instructor Rachel Pechek have both recently experienced heartwarming success stories that exemplify the application of these principles.

Kali’s Client – A great example of how veterinary medicine and osteopathic care go hand in hand.

“Recently, a new client reached out to me seeking help with his horse’s health issues. After a day of moving cows, the client’s 10-year-old horse suddenly started experiencing stiffness and lameness that persisted.

Despite receiving treatment from different equine bodyworkers, the horse would appear to improve only to relapse into lameness. Afterwards, the horse sustained a puncture wound on its right stifle, which required surgery. A few months after that, the horse slipped out of the trailer and injured its left hind limb.

I agreed to care for the horse for a period of 6-8 weeks in order to investigate the issue and provide rehabilitation. Upon arrival, the horse displayed a camped-under stance when standing and would frequently lay down to rest.

During movement, there was a lack of mobility in the pelvis and lumbar spine, he would not track up and his movements were very stiff. Additionally, there were signs of asymmetry and muscle atrophy in the quadriceps and tensor fasciae latae.

The initial osteopathic treatment revealed restrictions in various areas of the hind end (lumbar, sacroiliac, sacrum, hips, stifles, and hocks), along with tense pectoral muscles and glutes.

Subsequent sessions uncovered recurring joint restrictions, including a recurring bladder issue detected through a non-invasive osteopathic visceral technique I learned from LCAO instructors.

After additional reflection and examining the interconnections within the horse’s body, I decided to proceed with x-rays on the horse’s stifle and hocks after I performed the second osteopath session.

After diagnosing moderate to severe arthritis in the horse’s stifles and hocks, a treatment plan was created in collaboration with the vet to get this horse back to ridable condition. There was a belief that the horse started developing genetic arthritis in its joints at a young age. The horse was put on Previcox (requested by the owner) once a day to manage pain and enable exercise to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint.

By week 6, the dosage of Previcox was decreased to three times a week. Isometric exercises, ground poles, hill work, and riding on trails were gradually introduced over 8 weeks. Muscle stretching was reduced from twice daily to 3-4 times per week after 4 weeks. I also performed osteopathic treatments every 2 weeks.

After completing an 8-week rehabilitation program, an osteopath assessment showed no joint or visceral restrictions, all credited to the treatment of the stifle and hocks. As a result, the owner happily brought his horse back home and rode him joyfully for the first time in a year!

I provided the owner with specific isometric exercises and stretching routines to perform 3-4 times a week. A month later, I checked in and found that the horse was still in good condition, and the owner had resumed riding him on the ranch. The owner is now planning to collaborate with the vet to enhance joint care and ensure joint protection.

Experiences such as these are the reason why I choose to practice osteopathy on animals. The happiness I experience when witnessing an animal’s progress and the delight on the owner’s face is indescribable.

Prioritizing the animal’s welfare is my main focus, and I am committed to providing excellent care. This profession deeply connects with me, and every aspect of it brings me immense satisfaction. I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity to study at the London College of Animal Osteopathy and be mentored by some of the best in the world. This experience has had a lasting impact on my life.”

– Kali Larson images

– A happy horseback riding with his owner.

Rachel’s Client – Osteopathy helping a lost cause

“Zeppelin is a lovely horse with a lovely owner. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side in late 2023. He escaped his paddock and was struck by a car. The vet bandaged a laceration following the incident, but otherwise,e he was considered to be in fare condition. He initially went back to work after the wound had healed, but started refusing to move forward shortly after his rehabilitation began. He had no imaging done after the accident.

When I first saw Zeppelin in August of 2024, his gait looked extremely uncomfortable. He was a pasture pet. His owner hoped to get him serviceably sound for a low-level riding job. Zep had previously been seen by a few practitioners of other modalities who thought he may have had fractures to his ribs and pelvis when he was hit.

Based on the way he was moving, it seemed plausible! We decided to proceed with osteopathic treatment every 2-3 weeks, giving his body time to adjust after each treatment. His prognosis was unclear at this point in time as we weren’t sure if what we were seeing was permanent damage to anatomical structures, if it was dysfunction, or if it was a combination of both.

During his first appointment, I was able to mobilize his thoracic spine and ribs and begin articulation in his neck and pelvis. His walk-up after this appointment showed a small margin of improvement.

At the beginning of his second appointment, it was a pleasant surprise to find that Zeppelins body had accepted much of the work we had done in the initial consultation! I was able to build on the previous appointments progress, beginning to focus more on his pelvis. During this second appointment, OAB and HVLA of the hip joints and low back as well as myofascial release were the main techniques used in his hind end.

The beginning of his third appointment was another exciting moment. Zep’s hind end had held much of the work done previously, indicating that much of what was found was dysfunction and not permanent damage.

His owner said he had a notable improvement in movement in the paddock and he was seen standing square on his own which was difficult for him before osteopathic treatment began. During this appointment, I assessed and treated his entire body with OAB, along with some myofascial releases to his pelvis and cranial osteopathic technique. The picture below shows Zeppelins progress after 3 osteopathic treatments. He is standing square in both photos.

The third treatment was timed to have a rehabilitation specialist present as well. It was decided, based on the owner’s comfort and the rehabilitation specialist’s expertise, that Zepplin will begin in-hand walking exercises to build strength in his new freedom of movement.

At this point, his prognosis is looking very positive. He may very well be able to handle the riding job his owner has in mind for him. I and the rest of his team of people are excited to see how far Zeppelin will go from here! He has already exceeded our expectations, as horses often do.”

‍

– Rachel Pechek – image

Kali Larson

In Stride Osteopathy

In Stride Osteopathy Facebook

‍

The domesticated dog has changed far from the wild ancestors of old and the canid cousins they share in the wild today. Dogs as pets and companions come in many shapes and sizes from the smallest of “teacup” breeds to immense Great Danes and Irish Wolf Hounds.

As with many of our domesticated animals, selective breeding over many generations has created body plans that would be highly unlikely or even impossible through natural evolution. We know that the development of features depends on attributes that help to sustain life and increase the chances of procreation.

It would be fair to say that the Pug would not flourish in the wild were there to be a sudden disappearance of humans. Let us investigate the development of breed characteristics in dogs and the potential health pitfalls that may result.

Early Human Interaction With Dogs

The human domestication of dogs can be traced by DNA evidence dating back 11,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age (Rincon, 2020). There is evidence to suggest that Homo Sapiens out-competed Neanderthals for prey with the assistance of domesticated canines around 32,000 years ago (Bethke and Burtt, 2020).

Needless to say, dogs are the earliest animals to be domesticated by humans. Our connection with canines happened all over the world in the early periods of human history. Evidence of early canine domestication has been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have undoubtedly provided a tantalizing opportunity to hungry canines that could snatch food from camps, humans may have even left dogs parts of their kills that they found undesirable.

Equally, humans may have been eager to follow the packs of wild canines that were tracking prey so as to benefit from their enhanced senses when seeking good hunting.

It is generally accepted that domestication stemmed from the initial mutual benefit that came from close proximity. Of course, at this point in the development of domestication, selective breeding was probably not at the forefront of human minds.

The canines of this time were already perfectly suited to their environment and had the tracking and hunting skills that humans could benefit from. It was only as human civilization flourished that animals would become an asset that needed “molding” to a new purpose.

What Drove the Selection of Dog Characteristics? 

The attributes that humans favored in their domesticated companions were initially driven by the roles that canines played in obtaining food. It would very much depend on the location of the humans the type of prey being hunted and what traits best suited their needs.

A taller dog with acute senses of sight and hearing could be more useful for those tracking elusive prey across mountainous terrain whereas stocky strong dogs with tenacious spirits could be more effective at helping to take down large animals.

As agriculture grew and human settlements became more stable, roles altered again. Dogs would continue to assist in the hunting process but some of these hunts would become pest control as opposed to food gathering, this would necessitate smaller dogs that could take on native creatures that could burrow or escape into dense undergrowth.  Dogs became racers, fighters, security, and status symbols.

These days we certainly see breeds that seem to fall outside these roles of old. Our need for food and even pest control is no longer the same. Gradually, aesthetics would prevail in many cases of selective breeding.

Showing dogs is a big business and today events all over the world take place with some achieving television exposure. But as with many competitive industries and markets driven by aesthetics, traits can be taken to extremes.

Where the Problems Start – Dog Characteristics

Characteristics that once may have been useful to us as humans taken to extremes can create a multitude of health concerns for the animal. One of the most common trends in recent years has been the preference for breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

These breeds (and others) have a common trait of being Brachycephalic breeds. Brachycephalic meaning “Short headed” describes the wider and shorter skull shape of these dogs.

With the increased neotenization of animals (infantilization) leading to a preference for an almost human infant-like appearance, flat-faced brachycephalic breeds are in high demand. The unfortunate truth is that many or most owners have no idea what physiological strain this morphology creates.

One only needs to listen to a Pug long enough and you will hear breathing difficulties being very apparent. The canine head and face have evolved to allow for large intra-nasal space to warm and moisten the air, increase scent receptors, and provide large-capacity breathing to supply high endurance.

The vastly reduced size of the nasal cavity, sinuses, and pharynx in brachycephalic breeds interferes with adequate breathing. Appropriate ventilation is not just about getting oxygen into the body but expelling carbon dioxide, balancing body pH, assisting fluid dynamics, lymphatic pumping, and thermoregulation. The list goes on and on. It is easy to see that disturbed ventilation and respiratory function can lead to a multitude of conditions.

The German Shepard is another breed with a common dysfunction. While the breed is arguably one of the more wolf-like, it has deviated far from the functional biomechanics that its ancestors benefited from. Early examples of the breed were much more biomechanically sound and only when the breeding became more selective did the problems become apparent.

German Shepherds are often seen with a very angular hind end, their hip joint with a much more extended position and stifle at almost 90 degrees setting their hind end closer to the ground.

This selected morphology is bad enough for long-term health but when we consider that they have a genetic predisposition to hip dysplasia (Mikkola et al, 2019) the problem becomes even more of a concern.

The potential for back problems, hip problems, and reduced quality of life is high and we must also factor in the possible systemic effects on health that may occur from somatovisceral referral or degenerative myelopathy.

Genetics is a complex science and it is inevitable that breeding in one desired trait will come along with a number of others that are less conducive to wellness. We have many dog breeds today with floppy ears, they may look cute to us but they serve no purpose in benefiting the animal.

Floppy ears will obviously alter the sense of hearing compared to dogs with erect ears; they can in some cases also increase chances of impacted auditory canals and otitis externa (outer ear infection).

The obvious factor is our own choices of aesthetics. If we continue to put our preferences over the welfare of the animal, there is a chance that the health and even life expectancy of our dogs will get worse.

Becoming Part of the Change in Dog Welfare

Animal welfare charities are at the front of the campaigns to assist owners with ensuring improved welfare. The Brachycephalic Working Group is active in working with owners stakeholders in the dog industry and breeders to help spread awareness of care for these breeds and lobbying for change in breed development. The RSPCA has extensive help available for people seeking responsible dog ownership and information on good care practices.

It will however take time to place enough pressure on breeders and breed organizations involved in showing to change their current practices. The education of owners is key to this endeavor. If we can expand the understanding of breed characteristics on health in the wider public then people may start to vote with their feet and stop demanding dangerous features.

In Animal Osteopathy, practitioners are in a perfect position to educate owners about health implications and also how to care for the dogs who already suffer. Half of the work of any health practitioner is being an educator. Even if you are reading this and you are not an animal professional, you have learned that something needs to change and that we as owners are the ones to do it.

Can Osteopathy Help? 

Of course!

Osteopathy is a way of showing the body what it is doing. If an Osteopath works with an animal who is suffering from breed-related conditions, they do not try to make the animal something they are not, that would be futile.

Andrew Taylor Still (the founder of Osteopathy) said “Finding health should be the job of the doctor, anyone can find disease”, this is the view we must take when the morphology of the animal is such that optimal functioning is simply not possible.

Let us consider the brachycephalic breeds. An Osteopath may not be able to re-shape the dog’s head, but it’s possible to work with the secondary effects of breathing difficulties.

We can ensure cervical spine mobility to allow the dog to position their head in a comfortable position for breathing deeply, we can articulate restricted ribs and thoracic spine to encourage lung expansion and we can give advice on exercise and environment management so as not to over exert the dog or expose them to other respiratory inhibiting factors.

For our dogs suffering biomechanical issues as a result of postures such as the German Shepherd described above, we can work with muscle tone and flexibility to encourage the patient to stand under themselves, we can use proprioceptive rehabilitation to educate the nervous system in better posture. The list of interventions the Osteopath can use is vast, but I’m not going to give that away, you need to join the fantastic LCAO educational programs to find that out.

The important thing to remember is that it is not too late to make significant changes in the dog industry. Osteopathy will always be concerned with helping animals live as well as they can with the body and genetics they have but we can also be a powerful force for welfare education in the wider population.

It is vital to spread awareness that animals are feeling creatures who can suffer from the features that some/many humans find cute or appealing, just because they live does not mean they live well. This article is not to shame any owners who have breeds with the characteristics described above, the intention is to open eyes to the possible problems and stoke the fires of change.

For more information on how you can become a Canine Osteopath, click here 

References:

Rincon, P. (2020). Dogs are humans’ oldest companions, DNA shows. BBC News. [online] 29 Oct. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54690458 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2024].

Bethke, B. and Burtt, A. (2020). Dogs : archaeology beyond domestication. Gainesville: University Press Of Florida.

Paul, E.S., Packer, R.M., McGreevy, P.D., Coombe, E., Mendl, E. and Neville, V. (2023). That brachycephalic look: Infant-like facial appearance in short-muzzled dog breeds. Animal Welfare, 32(32). doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2022.6.

Mikkola, L.I., Holopainen, S., Lappalainen, A.K., Pessa-Morikawa, T., Augustine, T.J.P., Arumilli, M., Hytönen, M.K., Hakosalo, O., Lohi, H. and Iivanainen, A. (2019). Novel protective and risk loci in hip dysplasia in German Shepherds. PLOS Genetics, 15(7), p.e1008197. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008197.

Anon, (n.d.). Brachycephalic Working Group – Working together to improve the health and welfare of brachycephalic dogs. [online] Available at: https://www.ukbwg.org.uk/.

Chris Bates  M.Ost  DipAO  EEBW  BHSAI

While more animal owners than ever are seeking Osteopaths for their beloved companions, many are not entirely sure what their practitioner is doing or how osteopathy works.

It would be impossible to explain fully what each intervention involves. The understanding of Osteopathy takes time to acquire and even longer to master. However, it is useful to be able to describe to an owner a basic overview of what is occurring and how the treatment will be of benefit.

Osteopathy is a unique approach to healthcare and therefore takes longer to comprehend. Osteopathic care does not seek to impose upon the animal, but rather to provide afferent information to the higher centers of the body in order for change to occur by the body itself.

A Different Paradigm 

What causes illness? One could describe health as the state in which one has appropriate functioning of all systems required to sustain life and complete tasks needed to maintain that state.

There are of course many things that could be considered “good health”  not needed to simply sustain life. These might include factors such as personal happiness or social connection, but while imperative as well, more on these later…

Proper health relies on homeostasis. This is where the body maintains its internal environment conducive to health while being able to adapt to external influences and environment. An example of this is pH balance in the body.

This regulation of acid/base balance is essential for biological functions to occur. If the internal environment becomes too acidic or too alkali then the physical structures of the body begin to denature and no longer function as intended.

The body is always trying to survive, it never “goes wrong”. The body going wrong would assume that it is doing something against its own interests and contrary to its received information.

All processes that happen in the body are a result of the input it has; it would be impossible for the body to act in a way that is not aligned with what it senses. So, if this is the case, why does the body do things like pain, fracture, colic, and dizziness? They are bad, right?

What is bad and good are not always aligned with what is right and wrong or perhaps more accurately “correct and incorrect”. Let’s take a fever for example. A fever is uncomfortable, unpleasant, and what you might consider “bad”, but it is actually very healthy and correct.

The fever is the body raising the temperature of the internal environment so as to assist in the destruction and clearing of the infection present. The higher temperature can create a less desirable environment for the foreign bacteria or virus replication and also activates immune cascades and enzyme activity required to kill and clear infection.

In conventional medicine, the patient may take drugs to suppress the fever to make them feel more comfortable. Suppression of the fever however will only prolong the time, energy, and resources needed to recover.

This in turn can have longer lasting effects such as reducing the ability of the immune system to act quickly when presented with the same or similar infectious agents again. (1) Osteopathically it would be more suitable to allow the fever to run its course and remove any barrier to it taking place well.

Conclusion: Osteopathic advice for a patient with a fever could simply be to make them as comfortable as possible such as cooling cloths or soft bedding and providing the body with the necessary input to do a fever well such as water, electrolytes, and safe space to rest.

Removing Barriers

The essence of Osteopathic thinking is to remove the barriers and blockages to allow the body to function. This could be as obvious as clearing backed-up fluid in the lymphatics or more subtle such as finding the problem in the negative feedback loop of thyroid function.

Barriers often occur due to external trauma. This requires a clear understanding of the trauma and how it occurred in order to deduce why the body has made the adjustments it has.

The OAB (Osteopathic Articular Balancing) taught at LCAO is a classical Osteopathic approach that provides the neurological higher centers with feedback. When we use a rhythmical and repetitive oscillation of the joints, the body receives proprioceptive and nociceptive feedback without any active involvement from motor activity (or at least reduced activity).

This offers a mirror of sorts for the higher center to decide if the current ‘behavior’ is still appropriate or if it is using energy and vital resources unnecessarily.

A pattern of altered function could occur from a minor strain. If a horse refuses a jump and stops at the fence, they can quite easily strain their neck in their attempt to avoid collision and regain their balance.

If this neck strain caused a compression of the transverse foramina (route of the spinal nerve root) on one side of the neck let’s say at C5 to C7, then this would compress the roots of the musculocutaneous nerve.

The Biceps brachii muscle is innervated by this nerve; if the signals (afferent and efferent) are being disturbed by root compression then the biceps may not function adequately. One might see a weakness in forelimb protraction or difficulty with hills or jumping as this muscle plays an important role in elbow flexion and limb protraction.

The strain in the neck may have long since recovered but the altered signals to the forelimb have then created a facilitation at the spinal center forming a positive feedback loop sustaining the weakness and altered function.

To remove the “barrier” to health in this case, the Osteopath can interrupt this feedback loop thereby allowing the neural center at that spinal level to process that the bicep isn’t injured. This can be done by articulating the spinal levels into gapping the foramina and decompressing the nerve roots. We know that nerves can be altered by compression, torsion, stretch, and an altered environment.

What is Actually Happening in Animal Osteopathy?

When I am treating, owners will often ask what is happening under my hands and will want to know what I’m feeling. This is understandable as not only is the animal very important to them but they are investing their money in us and animals are expensive even when healthy.

As described above, it wouldn’t make sense to try and discuss the exact pathophysiology and action of intervention but it serves well to have a way of describing things in a way digestible by anyone.

Here is a taster for you. Plus, this could be handy for those of you already studying who want a way of talking to your patient’s owners.

Let us assume that we are performing OAB to the hind limb of an amateur showjumping horse and we detect through our repeated rotations and oscillations that there is a hard, taught end feel on stifle joint extension. Through our thorough understanding of the joint range of motion, we know that the stifle is not reaching full passive range. (that’s some of the good stuff in our courses).

We combine this finding with the fact that on palpation, the hamstrings on that same side were rigid, observation showed those hamstrings to be somewhat less developed, and on active movement, there was less limb protraction and tracking up that side too. The history described a tendency to put in stops at some jumps.

When a horse stops suddenly at the last pace of approach to a jump, they will sit their weight back onto the hind quarters and the hamstrings suddenly take much more weight than normal. At the same time, the hind legs can slip forward creating an eccentric contraction in the hamstrings. It is very easy to strain muscle that is in eccentric contraction, especially when that occurs quickly.

A case like this may not appear lame and therefore a Vet may suggest Osteopathy. The paces are however affected and the effects of the chronic pattern of asymmetry could lead to other dysfunctions and difficulties.

We would explain to the owner that despite not showing lameness, there is an altered movement pattern that seems to be related to a previous hamstring strain that has led to a tightening of that side. We of course know this would be called hypertonicity but sometimes owners are not interested in all the science jargon.

We can use OAB to approach the pathological barrier (hypertonic end feel) using repetitive gentle and rhythmical movement. This sends information back to the spinal levels where the nerve roots for the hamstrings arise.

We can explain to owners that not all information going to the central nervous system needs to go to the brain for processing. Some information is processed at the spinal cord and these are called spinal higher centers.

Although we might not go into the exact details of the muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs, we can describe how there are structures located within the muscle tissues and tendons that detect stretch and load.

We can then talk about how the act of moving the limb passively (without the horse activating muscle) can gradually take the tissues beyond that dysfunctional tone, those neural structures in the muscle and tendon tissues then relay this new (more functional) position to the higher centers.

As there is no (or less) pain perception and no further damage being detected, the higher centers relay signals back to the tissues to accommodate the new position and reduce tone. We can describe how this takes good palpation from the practitioner to feel the slightest changes and not push beyond the barrier staying in the rhythm of the tissue recoil found.

The barrier we removed with Osteopathy here was the continuous feedback loop from muscle tissue to the spinal center and back again. Of course, we may have found that the spinal center had dysfunction due to some altered vertebral positioning.

In that case, we could interrupt the feedback loop by adjusting that instead, thereby allowing the processing center to actually get the correct information and put out the correct signals to the peripheral tissues.

This is just one-way Osteopathy “treats”.

The Non-physical Stuff – Effect of Animal Osteopathy?

Do you remember earlier I mentioned things like happiness and social connection? Well, that indeed fits into the Osteopathic paradigm of health. At LCAO we teach about animal behavior and psychology and often discuss these subjects in our blogs.

The Osteopathic Paradigm looks at the whole animal inclusive of mind and body. To be truly healthy, psychological and social needs must be met. While it could be argued to be somewhat physicality bias, even Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes how the social and psychological aspects of one’s nature are essential considerations in living well.

As things stand within the practice of Animal Osteopathy, it can be tricky to navigate some of these areas as our scope of practice is not as defined as some practitioners. General advice and recommendations based on evidence and critical thinking are of course within the realm of the Osteopath. A dog who is suffering stress from isolation and separation anxiety while the owners are out working could develop stereotypical behaviors such as furniture chewing, pacing, or even self-harm.

The Osteopath may be called to the dog who is showing musculoskeletal signs of strain but the barrier to health here could be the repetitive strain of the isolation behaviors. Removing that barrier to health could be as simple as suggesting an owner work from home when possible or organize doggy daycare.

While we can still manually treat patterns of strain, the maintaining factors behavioral and psychological are addressed from the advice given. Even referral counts as Osteopathic treatment.

The job of the Osteopath could be to refer to a practitioner who has more scope in the area of behavior. Forming a link with trainers, behavior consultants and other experts in that field is a great boon to any animal therapy business.

This article really only scratches the surface of Animal Osteopathy and its practice. The best Osteopaths are perpetual students who know that the learning is never over. To learn about the interconnectedness of the animal’s being and how Osteopathy can help them, get in touch with LCAO to find out about our range of courses.

To learn more about a career in animal osteopathy, click here 

Resources

1. Sylwia Wrotek, Edmund K LeGrand, Artur Dzialuk, and Joe Alcock; 2020; Evol Med Public Health. 2021; 9(1): 26–3; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7717216/

Acorn Toxicity in Horses: Risks, Symptoms, and Prevention

By Siun Griffin, Equine Physiotherapist

Acorns, a common feature of oak trees, might seem harmless, but they pose a significant health risk to horses. Although acorn poisoning isn’t a daily concern for most horse owners, the threat increases dramatically during certain times of the year. Knowing how to recognize the signs and what to do in case of exposure can make all the difference in protecting your horse.

How Common Is Acorn Poisoning in Horses?

While acorn poisoning in horses is rare, ingestion can be a serious issue when it occurs. Acorn toxicity tends to be more common in areas where oak trees grow abundantly. Horses are curious grazers, and they may consume acorns when they fall in large quantities, especially during the fall.

When Are Horses Most at Risk?

The risk of acorn poisoning is highest in the autumn, from September through November, when oak trees shed their acorns. During this time, acorns, as well as oak leaves and buds, are more likely to be ingested by grazing horses. Horses may be drawn to them when other forage is limited, making acorn poisoning a seasonal concern.

While many horses will not consume many acorns due to their bitter taste, some develop a taste for them and will eat as many as they can when available.

Why Are Acorns Toxic to Horses?

Acorns contain tannins, a compound that can be harmful to horses when consumed in large amounts. Tannins are also present in oak leaves and bark, and while horses might nibble on these parts of the tree, acorns tend to be consumed in greater quantities, posing a bigger risk. When ingested, these tannins can cause digestive upset, kidney damage, and even death in severe cases.

Signs and Symptoms of Acorn Poisoning

The symptoms of acorn poisoning can range in severity depending on how much has been consumed. Some common signs to look out for include:

Colic: Abdominal pain is one of the first signs that something is wrong. If your horse appears restless, kicks at its stomach, or rolls, it could be experiencing colic.

• Diarrhoea: In some cases, horses may develop severe diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration if not treated promptly.
• Constipation: Interestingly, other horses may experience the opposite and suffer from constipation.
• Lethargy: A horse affected by acorn poisoning may become weak or lethargic.
• Dehydration: The loss of fluids, especially with diarrhoea, can result in severe dehydration.
• Loss of Appetite: Horses might stop eating or drinking due to gastrointestinal distress.
• Swelling: In extreme cases, swelling in the limbs or abdomen may occur as the body reacts to the toxins.

Acorn poisoning can also cause damage to the kidneys, which may not present visible symptoms right away but can lead to long-term health problems if not addressed.

What to Do if You Suspect Acorn Poisoning

If you suspect your horse has eaten a dangerous amount of acorns, it’s essential to act quickly. Here’s what you should do:

Remove Access: Immediately remove your horse from the area where acorns are present. This prevents further ingestion while you assess the situation.

Call Your Veterinarian: Contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. Acorn poisoning can escalate quickly, and your horse may require medical treatment, including fluids to manage dehydration, medication for colic, or additional support to protect the kidneys.

Monitor Symptoms: Keep a close eye on your horse for any signs of distress, colic, diarrhoea, or other symptoms. Even if your horse doesn’t appear to be affected initially, it’s wise to consult a vet for advice, as acorn poisoning can sometimes take time to manifest.

Follow Veterinary Advice: Your vet may recommend activated charcoal to help absorb toxins or provide IV fluids to prevent dehydration. In severe cases, hospitalization might be necessary.

Preventing Acorn Poisoning

Preventing acorn poisoning is far easier than treating it. Here are several strategies you can adopt:

Limit Access to Oak Trees: The most straightforward prevention method is to ensure your horses don’t graze near oak trees during the fall. You can fence off areas where acorns are plentiful or remove horses from those pastures during high-risk periods.

Regularly Clear Acorns: If it’s not practical to move your horses, regularly raking up and removing acorns from pastures will help minimize the risk. This can be labour-intensive but is an effective way to prevent poisoning.

Supplement Forage: If forage is scarce, horses may be more inclined to eat acorns. Ensuring your horses have adequate hay or other feed can reduce their desire to snack on potentially toxic plants.

Check for Oak Leaves: Acorn poisoning is not just limited to the nuts themselves. Oak leaves, especially in the spring and fall, can also be toxic, so monitor grazing areas for fallen leaves.

Acorn poisoning in horses, while not the most common type of equine toxicity, is a seasonal hazard that can cause significant health issues. By understanding the risks and taking preventive steps, you can greatly reduce the chances of your horse being affected. If you suspect your horse has ingested acorns and is showing symptoms, contacting your vet quickly is essential to prevent long-term damage or even death. With the right precautions, you can keep your horse safe during the acorn season.

For more information on how you can become an Equine Osteopath, click here

Resources:

Acorn poisoning in horses, British Horse Society, https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/equine-diseases/acorn-poisoning/

The Truth About Acorn Toxicity and Horses, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, https://vet.tufts.edu/news-events/news/truth-about-acorn-toxicity-and-horses

Potentially Deadly: Acorn Toxicity In Horses, Paulik Report, https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/potentially-deadly-acorn-toxicity-in-horses

By Siun Griffin, Veterinary Physiotherapist and LCAO Community Manager

As canine sports gain popularity, from agility and flyball to dock diving and herding, the demand for optimal performance and injury prevention in athletic dogs has surged. While traditional veterinary care remains essential, alternative therapies like osteopathy are becoming increasingly recognised for their ability to enhance physical function and reduce the risk of injury in dogs.

Osteopathy, a manual therapy that emphasises the body’s structural alignment, mobility, and interrelated systems, offers a holistic approach to improving canine sports performance.

Understanding Canine Osteopathy

Osteopathy is based on the principle that the body’s structure and function are intrinsically connected. In humans, osteopathy has long been used to treat musculoskeletal disorders, improve posture, and enhance overall health.

Canine osteopathy follows similar principles, focusing on the body’s mechanics, including bones, muscles, ligaments, and soft tissues, as well as how these systems work in harmony to support movement.

Osteopaths assess the dog’s entire musculoskeletal system, identifying areas of restriction, imbalance, or tension that could be hindering optimal function. The therapy involves gentle manipulation, stretching, and mobilization techniques designed to restore proper movement, balance, and circulation.

While the field of canine osteopathy is still developing, there is growing evidence to suggest that it can play a significant role in maintaining peak performance in active dogs.

The Physical Demands of Canine Sports

Athletic dogs are subjected to high levels of physical stress due to the rigorous demands of sports. Activities such as agility competitions, disc dog trials, and even endurance activities like canicross require rapid acceleration, frequent changes in direction, jumping, and sprinting – all of which put significant pressure on joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

Increased physical stress heightens the risk of injury. Common issues in canine athletes include:

• Soft tissue injuries (e.g., muscle strains, ligament sprains)
• Joint instability
• Osteoarthritis due to wear and tear
• Back and neck pain from sudden movements or imbalances
• Tendonitis and bursitis

Addressing these issues is vital for dogs to maintain high performance and avoid long-term damage. Canine osteopathy helps to alleviate and prevent these injuries by ensuring that all body systems are functioning at their best.

Osteopathy and Biomechanics in Canine Athletes

One of the key benefits of osteopathy lies in its ability to optimise biomechanics. Proper biomechanics are essential for efficient, injury-free movement in all dogs, but especially in those involved in high-intensity sports. Osteopaths examine the entire body, with particular attention to any dysfunctions that might impair movement patterns or increase the risk of injury.

For example, poor posture or an abnormal gait can put excess strain on specific areas of the body, leading to compensatory imbalances elsewhere. If a dog is consistently placing more weight on one side of its body due to a subtle misalignment, it may lead to overuse injuries in that area, eventually causing performance issues or chronic pain.

Osteopathy addresses these imbalances, helping to realign the body and improve overall movement efficiency.

Additionally, restoring mobility in joints and soft tissues can enhance flexibility, which is especially important in sports that demand explosive movements and quick directional changes. Osteopathic techniques aimed at increasing joint range of motion also help reduce the likelihood of injury during intense physical activity.

Injury Prevention and Recovery

While osteopathy is often used for rehabilitation following an injury, its preventative benefits are equally valuable for canine athletes. Regular osteopathic sessions can identify potential problem areas before they become significant injuries.

Early intervention can prevent small issues, such as minor muscle strains or joint restrictions, from escalating into more serious conditions that could sideline a dog from competition for weeks or months.

For dogs recovering from an injury, osteopathy can aid in rehabilitation by promoting circulation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing tissue repair. Manipulative techniques encourage the removal of waste products from inflamed areas and help to reestablish healthy blood flow, which is essential for healing.

Additionally, osteopathy can be used alongside physical therapy and other rehabilitation techniques to ensure that dogs recover their full range of motion and strength.

Enhancing Performance through Osteopathy

Beyond injury prevention and recovery, osteopathy has been shown to enhance overall performance in canine athletes. By improving joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and postural alignment, osteopathy allows dogs to move more efficiently and with greater power. This can translate into faster times in agility courses, higher jumps, and better endurance during long-distance runs.

Moreover, osteopathy helps to reduce muscle tension and stress, which can improve focus and mental clarity in dogs during competition. Physical discomfort often leads to behavioral changes, such as hesitance or distraction, which can impact performance. Ensuring that dogs are free of physical restrictions can help them perform at their best, both physically and mentally.

Osteopathy as Part of a Comprehensive Care Plan

It is important to recognise that osteopathy is not a replacement for traditional veterinary care but rather a complementary therapy. Canine osteopathy should be integrated into a comprehensive care plan that includes regular veterinary check-ups, proper nutrition, conditioning exercises, and other forms of therapy when necessary (e.g., hydrotherapy, physiotherapy).

Owners of canine athletes should work closely with their veterinarians, osteopaths, and other specialists to develop a customised care plan tailored to their dog’s needs and the demands of the specific sport in which they compete. Regular osteopathic sessions, combined with a well-rounded conditioning program, can help maintain optimal health and performance throughout a dog’s sporting career.

Canine osteopathy offers a valuable, holistic approach to maintaining and improving the health and performance of athletic dogs. By addressing biomechanical imbalances, preventing injuries, and enhancing flexibility and strength, osteopathy can be an integral part of a dog’s overall care regimen.

For dogs competing in demanding sports, osteopathy provides a proactive and non-invasive way to ensure peak performance while minimising the risk of injury. As the field of canine osteopathy continues to evolve, it will likely play an increasingly important role in the care of canine athletes, helping them achieve new levels of success in their sporting endeavors.

‍

Osteopathy is an increasingly sought-after form of therapy, reflecting a broader shift towards holistic and alternative therapies in veterinary care.

This holistic approach to treating animals is gaining popularity as pet owner awareness increases. Complementary therapies are becoming more common, as evidence supporting the efficacy of osteopathy treatment for animals increases.

A significant driver of this growth is the equine market, where osteopathy has become an essential part of care for both performance and working horses.

The Equine Market: A Major Growth Driver

The demand for animal osteopathy is particularly strong in the equine market, where it has become a standard part of care for performance horses, such as those involved in racing, show jumping, and dressage. These horses are prone to musculoskeletal issues that can impair their performance and overall well-being.

It is also growing as riders and owners look for more holistic treatments for performance horses with tight competition rules regarding the use of medications around competition times.

The benefits of osteopathy in improving back pain, joint stiffness, and muscle imbalances have made it a crucial tool in the care of these valuable animals. According to a study involving 374 horses with suspected sacroiliac and/or hip joint dysfunction and back pain, only 15 horses did not show improvement after treatments (1).

Moreover, the equine market’s demand for osteopathic services extends beyond high-performance sports. Working horses, including those used in agriculture, police work, and therapy programs, also benefit from regular osteopathic care. These treatments help maintain their health and functionality, ensuring they can perform their duties effectively and with minimal discomfort.

The Growing Awareness and Acceptance of Holistic Animal Care

While the equine market is a major driver of demand, pet ownership is also on the rise globally, leading to increased care for small animals like dogs and cats. According to a 2023 report by Grand View Research, the global pet care market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027, with an increasing portion of that expenditure being directed toward specialized and holistic treatments, such as animal osteopathy. (2)

Pet owners today are more informed and engaged with their pets’ well-being than ever before. They are increasingly seeking out alternative and complementary therapies that align with a more natural and preventive approach to health.

Animal osteopathy, which focuses on improving an animal’s health through the manipulation of muscles, bones, and joints, fits perfectly within this paradigm. This growing awareness is translating into a higher demand for trained professionals in the field.

Market Data Reflecting the Surge in Demand

Several key market indicators highlight the rising interest in animal osteopathy across different markets. A recent study by IBISWorld reports that the complementary and alternative veterinary care market, which includes services like osteopathy, has been growing at an annual rate of 7.5% over the past five years. This growth is expected to continue as more veterinary practices incorporate holistic treatments into their service offerings. (3)

Furthermore, the increasing number of training programs and certifications in animal osteopathy is another indicator of the field’s expansion. This surge in educational opportunities is both a response to and a driver of the growing demand, as more professionals seek to add osteopathic skills to their repertoire.

The Role of Scientific Research and Professional Endorsements

The legitimacy and credibility of animal osteopathy have been further bolstered by an expanding body of scientific research. Studies published in veterinary journals have begun to document the positive outcomes of osteopathic treatments, particularly in areas like pain management, mobility enhancement, and recovery from injury.

This growing body of evidence is particularly strong in the equine market, where osteopathy has been shown to improve not just physical performance, but also the quality of life for aging or injured horses.

Professional endorsements and the inclusion of osteopathy in veterinary practices are also playing a critical role in driving demand. As more veterinarians incorporate osteopathic techniques into their practice, often through collaboration with trained osteopaths, the profile of the profession continues to rise. This has the dual effect of increasing the visibility of osteopathy to pet owners and encouraging more veterinary professionals to seek training in this area.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Animal Osteopathy

The future of animal osteopathy looks promising, with demand set to continue its upward trajectory. As more pet owners embrace a holistic approach to their animals’ health, and as more professionals enter the field, the availability and accessibility of osteopathic treatments for animals are likely to increase. This growth will not only benefit pets and their owners but also provide new opportunities for veterinary practices and animal healthcare professionals.

For those considering a career in this burgeoning field, the timing couldn’t be better. The rising demand for animal osteopathy presents a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of a movement that is redefining animal healthcare.

Whether you are a veterinary professional looking to expand your skill set or a business seeking to tap into this growing market, the momentum behind animal osteopathy shows no signs of slowing down.

The rising demand for animal osteopathy is a reflection of broader trends in animal healthcare, including the increasing acceptance of holistic treatments and the growing commitment of pet owners to their animals’ well-being.

For more information on our animal osteopathy programs, click here

References:

1. Bechtel, K. M., & Lewin, C. R. (2008). Case reports: Effect of osteopathic manipulations on performance in 374 horses with suspected sacroiliac and/or hip joint dysfunction and back pain (2006–2007). *Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 28*(4), 229-237. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/201798894_Case_Reports_Effect_of_osteopathic_manipulations_on_performance_in_374_horses_with_suspected_sacroiliac_andor_hip_joint_dysfunction_and_back_pain_2006_-2007
2. Grand View Research. (2024). *Pet care market size, share & trends analysis report by product (food, grooming, healthcare), by animal type (dogs, cats, others), by distribution channel, by region, and segment forecasts, 2024 – 2030*. Grand View Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pet-care-market
3. IBISWorld. Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Care.

‍

By: Chris Bates  M.Ost

‍

Feel and touch are not the only ways to really “feel”. I remember being told by one of my favorite teachers in my Osteopathy degree (for humans), “When you know the anatomy and how to work safely, then you can work with ‘no mind’, fluidly and without thinking”.

‍

His name was Greg Barker and he, unfortunately, passed away, but before he passed, he was instrumental in the development of many Osteopaths and was a highly regarded clinician and educator. Yes, I’m afraid this is one of those personal anecdote-style articles, but bear with me I promise it’s worth it.

‍

Do you feel it? 

‍

When I came to the world of Osteopathy, I had trained as a sports massage therapist and equine bodyworker. I thought I had pretty good hands-on skills and could feel what was going on under my hands. Little did I know that Osteopathy training would completely change the way I perceived the patient in front of me.

‍

We spend many hours studying the principles of Osteopathy and looking at how our paradigm of assessment and treatment is very different to other approaches, but practice is vastly different from remembering data.

‍

When we train, it is a little like we have been palpating (assessing through touch) with thick gloves on. Once the practice begins and you can learn by doing, the real information begins to become clear.

‍

There would often be times in my degree during practical classes when other students would turn to each other and say “Do you feel it?”. The majority of the time, it would be answered with a weary head shake and “still no…”.

‍

It’s very frustrating when a tutor is describing something that is apparently there and you are completely unable to pick it up. But looking back, I now know that I wasn’t “unable”, I was just not feeling enough, deeply enough.

‍

Going through the layers

‍

One thing that we were taught and that is imperative for any aspiring Osteopath, was feeling at depth. Palpation is not just the sensation of the surface tissue that your skin makes contact with, there are more tissues that are perceivable by adjusting your perception of them.

‍

Having a thorough understanding of anatomy is so important here because you can visualize the areas and tissues beneath your fingers which helps to know the pressure you need and the type of sensation to expect.

‍

Of course, it’s also important not to let a visualization blur what is really happening. There is no “perfect” patient and so tissues will be different from person to person, animal to animal. We don’t want to let a visualization put a fake picture of what is happening in our minds and give us a false reading so to speak.

‍

I was blown away at how little pressure was required to feel deeper; I had until then, been plowing my way through delicate tissues and ignoring the information that was so very useful. The problem is that when we start a new discipline, we are clumsy and unrefined, with practice it becomes second nature.

‍

Imagine a gymnast at the top of their sport, they didn’t start with that level of balance, coordination, and strength (unless their name is Simone Biles), they began by overshooting the energy, toppling over, and missing marks.

‍

We make contact with the skin and fur of the animal, we feel the temperature, moisture, quality of the coat, and the glide of the skin over the subcutaneous tissues and we can feel if the animal reacts with retraction or shudders for example.

‍

The touch for this is very subtle and if we press too hard, we completely lose a plethora of information. You get a better sensation of the animal’s skin temperature with a very light touch for example.

But we don’t stop here. The tiniest amount of pressure we can gently sink into the connective tissues and fascia underneath. These tissues have slightly more resistance to glide and you can sense the direction in which the fascia “draws” as it is semi contractile.

‍

We take time here to sense if there is a direction the fascia feels more restricted and can note this in our assessment as it may give us information on the deeper factors causing the animal’s presentation.

‍

Keep going… 

‍

At this level we can even pick-up vascular motion and fluid dynamics, we get the pulse, swelling and oedema. But there is more to do, just beyond this level is the muscle, tendon and ligament tissues.

‍

I often said to my students that the pressure needed to sense these was often only the pressure you could comfortably put up with on our closed eyelid, not much at all. Now we can really see how it is so easy to push blindly through the layers without perceiving them. At this deeper point we can feel tissue tension, spasm and fasciculation, interstitial fluid retention and of course observe for signs of pain.

‍

But wait, it’s not over yet…

Widen your field of perception and you can even palpate bone! Yes, you can really feel the bones without having to be in a surgical suite. Bone is a vital and living tissue. Dense with blood, marrow and microvascular structures, not the light weight dead stuff we look at in classrooms.

‍

It has a density that you can feel, you can sink into the tissues with your fingers and open your perception and you will palpate density, resistance, and of course, at a joint you will feel range of motion.

‍

The Subtle Nature of Osteopathy…

‍

In the realm of cranial Osteopathy that was first pioneered by William Garner Sutherland DO, there is so much more within and in-between the layers described above when palpating. The description above is really just to help open your mind to the possibility of feeling at a deeper level of understanding.

‍

Cranial Osteopathy also palpates the intrinsic motion of the cerebrospinal fluid, the reciprocal tension membranes, the cranial bones and the sacrum. These motions are extremely subtle and difficult to feel but once you get that eureka moment, it opens up a whole new plane of diagnostic information.

‍

In cranial lectures, I was always told to try and “tune in” to my patient, I found this very hard at first as I didn’t really understand what the tutor meant. It sounds rather out there to “tune in” like I should be wearing a tin foil hat or reciting a mantra, but the idea of tuning in is really just allowing your perception to meet the patient where they are.

‍

Above I describe how we don’t want our visualization of the anatomy to override what we are actually feeling. This idea is vital in deeper palpation and certainly cranial Osteopathy. We mustn’t block the body motion with too much intrusive pressure, nor should we guess at what is happening, simply allow for the time to properly form a picture of the motion and sensations you feel.

‍

Osteopaths have the luxury of often taking more time with their patients, although there is a prevailing industry standard of people giving patients 30 to 45 minutes for a session, I personally always set aside an hour because I do not dictate what the body has to “say” or how long it will take to adjust.

‍

Going beyond

‍

Feeling can also be less literal. Osteopathy is after all about the holistic view of the patient. What else can you feel?

• Pain
• Anxiety
• Joy
• Awkwardness
• Relief
• Concern

‍

The list would go on and on. The point I’m making is that we can gather a lot from how a situation makes us “feel” at an emotional level. It would be unprofessional to let emotion take over or to pretend to be an expert of psychology and behavior but we have all felt what it is like to “sense” an animal’s emotional state.

‍

We use our empathy as a palpation tool very often. Your “gut feeling” as some may call it, is incredibly useful to guide your investigations and treatment. We don’t note our gut feelings down in our forms and write ups as this would not be a metric that could be admissible for veterinary follow-ups or referrals, but it is certainly an aspect of your personal approach that can make you stand out as a practitioner.

‍

Some might describe this deeper sense of perception as being in the zone or in a flow state. These states of awareness are profound and create an ability to do what you do without really even thinking about it. Remember earlier what my teacher said to me? “….. Work with no mind, fluidly and without overthinking”. He really was one of the greats, R.I.P. Greg.

‍

Flow is letting yourself feel, don’t obstruct your assessment with preconceived ideas. I have always found it quite interesting that letting yourself feel is a similar principle to letting the patient’s body do the healing.

‍

The Osteopath really just removes the barriers to health and the body does the rest. Remove your barriers to feeling and you reach this flow state of truly sensing what is there, the senses do the rest. The Daoist philosophy would call it “wu-wei”, roughly translating as “action without action” or to go with the flow.

‍

How Do We Get Better at Feeling?

There are ways to train our senses to improve our Osteopathy. We used to play a game at University where the teacher would place a number of small objects underneath a piece of paper or a cloth and we had to touch over the cloth/paper to see what they were.

Initially, they were easier things like a spoon, a phone charging cable, or a large coin. Eventually, we would have to identify much harder things like string, a human hair or what type of coin was under the paper.

‍

This makes you engage with your fingertips and really helps. When we practice these types of exercises, the neuroplasticity of our brain and peripheral pathways gets more connected to this sense. It’s like walking the same track through a forest again and again, the path becomes easier and quicker to use. Of course, hands-on practice with the animals helps practice this too.

‍

We can enhance our skills by just feeling lots of different things. Hold something in your hands and really connect with the feeling of it. What is the surface like? Is it warm or cold? Is it mobile? Is it pliable?

‍

Feel the shape of it and make an image in your mind without looking at it directly. You can touch a tree or a leaf and determine its health, is the leaf dry and brittle? Is the tree solid and dense? It sounds silly to go around feeling things but it isn’t about how many things you feel, it’s about how you actually perceive them and what information you can gather.

‍

As regards getting into that flow state of feel, I recommend finding a craft or hobby that involves physical touch of movement and practicing it until it becomes second nature. This ability to then dissolve into the sensation of doing without the mind getting in the way will help you allow yourself to delve deeper into your Osteopathy.

‍

It is also very useful to have a craft or hobby that is separate from Osteopathy anyway as it acts as a relaxation time where you can recharge. Riding horses can be that hobby or maybe knitting or painting.

‍

LCAO offers practical masterclasses to consolidate your learning and give you feedback on your palpatory and treatment skills. Our video submissions and case studies also give tutors the chance to assess your ability in sensing the animals in front of you. Our classical approach to Osteopathy emphasizes the need for good palpatory skills and hands-on practice.

Center of Gravity – Riding Horses in Balance and Harmony

‍

By Chris Bates M.Ost EEBW BHSAI

‍

Riding horses can look effortless and easy when performed by some of the best riders out there. Those of us normal mortals though, understand that riding is far from easy.

‍

When you watch a horse and rider moving together in harmony, the signals given by the rider and the communication between them look almost invisible and there seems to be a psychic link from rider to mount.

‍

Much of the fluidity that we see in the experienced rider and their schoolmaster comes from establishing balance and ease of movement before the aids used to communicate are refined to higher levels.

‍

What Does Center of Gravity Mean?

The centre of gravity is a phrase many of us may have heard from our instructors, not just horse riding requires an awareness and control over the centre of gravity. So, what does it mean?

‍

Well, the idea is actually often misconstrued and poorly understood leaving many people seeking clarification on why it’s so important. Some think that the centre of gravity is where it is and that’s it, you have to feel it and then work around that.

‍

Well, actually the centre of gravity (COG) is not a physical object sitting inside you somewhere, nor is it stationary. COG is a point around which our weight and movement combine to a balance. Confused?… GOOD! Confusion is the best place to start learning from.

‍

Some describe the COG as the “Average location of the weight of an object” (Hall, 2022). We could go on for an entire book’s worth of description but this is just an article so I won’t beat around the bush with too much science jargon.

‍

Center of Gravity – Horse Riding

Being the “average” position of the weight of the object, you can imagine that this imaginary point sits as the balance whereby the rider or horse has an equal mass/weight left to right, front to back, above and below that point.

‍

One should look at this point three-dimensionally, many textbooks and riding manuals will depict the image from a lateral (side on) view and it can appear that the point only relates to the gravitational forces between the forehand and hind end.

The horse’s COG is roughly located level with its heart, below the withers, and centrally from a sagittal view. However, this alters with movement and posture. If the horse raises their head, the COG shifts backward and will consequently shift forward when lowering the head.

‍

The COG can be different depending on the type and breed of horse, their muscular development and weight, their conformation, and their hoof angles.

‍

Horse Rider Center of Gravity

The rider has a center of gravity roughly located at the level of the naval slightly posterior to it and centrally. There is little point discussing how this may differ when not sitting on the horse as this has no effect on riding.

‍

The rider COG of course will also be affected by the movement and configuration of their body just as the horse is.

Why Does COG Matter in Horse Riding

So why is this point so important to good riding? All disciplines and styles of riding require a combination of the same factors: Balance, Rhythm, impulsion, suppleness, responsiveness, and then other factors to refine specific goals.

‍

If the rider sits with their COG located above the horse’s COG then the horse will not have to alter their way of movement to accommodate unevenness.

‍

Should the horse need to adapt to a rider sitting behind the COG for example, then this could encourage a high head carriage, shifting the horse’s COG back and hollowing the back, this, in turn, makes impulsion much harder to achieve.

‍

Many riders will perch forward in their riding position due to inexperience or apprehension; this shifts their COG towards the horse’s head. In response, the horse needs to lower their head bringing all their forward energy onto the forehand. Horse’s on the forehand will lack hind end engagement and also risk stopping at jumps.

‍

An Example

I used to teach a rider who had an old hip injury that had healed poorly leaving her with more weight distributed into her left seat bone (Ischial tuberosity for you anatomy nerds) when riding.

‍

Her left stirrup was longer by two holes and this felt balanced to her. She had altered herself, unknowingly, to move her COG to the left as her right hip mobility was severely limited.

‍

When we sit in the saddle, there is a certain amount of hip flexibility required to allow for combined flexion, abduction and external rotation of the femur. As this rider’s right hip was very restricted in abduction and external rotation, she was physically forced to a deeper seat on her left.

This rider’s horse was a very accommodating mount and was well behaved but had to alter his posture to compensate. His COG was noticeably further left to “pick up” her imbalance.

‍

His left lateral shift of COG meant that he needed to hold a right bend constantly to maintain his balance. The right bend caused inability to pick up left canter, lack of impulsion on left rein and even right rein problems such as reduced shoulder protraction and falling out through the shoulder.

‍

In Osteopathy, we also understand Fryette’s laws of spinal motion and the rider fit in with these perfectly. The rider had a right side bend in her spine, this was then combined with left rotation (as per Fryette’s principles).

‍

The left rotation created rein length discrepancy and stiff upper body mechanics (when one plane of movement is engaged, the other planes will be reduced).  The horse also had a rotation in the cervical spine to the left as this was a compensation to maintain eye level and inner equilibrium.

‍

So How Do I Help Fix Balance and Harmony?

All of this can make it sound as if it would be far too difficult to ride well as it seems the tiniest of COG shifts can make a whole string of compensations. Well, there is good news and bad news.

‍

• Bad news – YES, riding is very hard to get mastery over.
• Good news – There are some really easy ways to help and things to remember.

‍

Always remember that nothing in the human or horse body is 100% even and equal from side to side, front to back. Even cells have asymmetry in their organelles and shape.

‍

You don’t need to become obsessed with absolute perfection because such a thing doesn’t exist. That is what makes the sport such fun, all people and horses are different and the aim is to just find the most effective, natural, balanced and ethical way to work with the horse.

‍

Easy thing 1:

‍

Get someone to take some photos of you riding. Get photos and or video riding and standing. The idea would be to cover all the basics by getting a view of front and back, left and right and ensure you get all your strides and maybe even jump.

‍

This is a great way to look at your own riding and see for yourself how to alter it for the better. There are even some great products on the market that mean you can film yourself using a phone or camera on a stand that follows your movement around the arena.

‍

If you trust the opinion of the person taking the footage, they may also be able to tell you what they observe in real-time.

‍

Easy thing 2:

‍

Hire a good instructor. A teacher who has a good understanding of biomechanics can help with advising on how to alter your position to ride more in balance. British Horse Society (BHS) qualified instructors and accredited coaches are trained in rider balance and recognizing faults.

‍

Many instructors will work closely with your Farrier, Vet, Osteopath, and Physiotherapist to ensure that musculoskeletal, hoof health, dental, and tack are all adjusted to provide balance and evenness.

‍

Easy thing 3:

‍

Mirrors!

It sounds simple but riding somewhere that has mirrors is an excellent way to see for yourself if you are sitting correctly. Perhaps combine number 2 and 3 and hire your instructor at a location with school mirrors.

‍

Easy thing 4:

‍

Call your Animal Osteopath!

Your qualified Animal Osteopath can do static and dynamic assessments of your horse and ascertain if there are some physical barriers to them keeping their COG where it would be most functional.

‍

Osteopaths can identify a variety of factors that could be affecting your horse’s way of moving and have the skills to work with their system to aim for alignment that is most conducive to healthy, balanced riding.

‍

Don’t forget that seeing an Osteopath yourself can do all of that for you too! The rider is 50% of the relationship.

‍

To learn more about how you can become an Animal Osteopath, click here

‍

Bibliography:

‍

Clayton, H.M., MacKechnie-Guire, R. and Hobbs, S.J. (2023). Riders’ Effects on Horses—Biomechanical Principles with Examples from the Literature. Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI, [online] 13(24), p.3854. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13243854.

Hall, N. (2022). Center of Gravity. [online] Glenn Research Center | NASA. Available at: https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/center-of-gravity/#:~:text=The%20center%20of%20gravity%20is%20the%20average%20location%20of%20the.

Spickard, S. (2022). Rider Biomechanics: Exercises to Correct Asymmetry in the Saddle. [online] NOËLLE FLOYD. Available at: https://www.noellefloyd.com/blogs/sport/part-3-exercises-to-correct-asymmetry-in-the-saddle.

www.equiculture.net. (2021). How to find your (horse riding) Centre of Gravity (CoG). [online] Available at: https://www.equiculture.net/blog/hrm-how-to-get-in-touch-with-your-centre-of-gravity.

Cooling Hot Dogs: Myths and Facts

‍

As temperatures rise, it’s crucial to keep our canine companions cool to prevent heat-related illnesses. Unfortunately, many myths about cooling dogs persist, potentially putting them at risk.

‍

Myth 1: Cold Water Causes Shock and Bloat

‍

Fact

A common myth suggests that giving dogs ice water can cause shock or bloat. Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director at the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, and Dr. Michael Tuder, owner, and director of four animal hospitals in Hudson County, N.J. both state that this is false information. (2)

‍

The only potential issue with providing ice cubes is the potential choking hazard which can possibly damage teeth, so care should be taken on how you provide your dog with ice.

‍

This is not supported by scientific evidence. Dogs can safely drink ice water, and it can actually help cool them down.

‍

Correct Method

Providing dogs with cool, fresh water, and adding ice cubes can help maintain the water’s temperature longer, making it more appealing and effective in cooling. Ensure that the dog drinks at a moderate pace to avoid gulping.

‍

Ensure the ice used is safe to avoid a choking hazard.

Myth 2: NOT Shaving Dogs with Thick Fur or Double Coats Will Keep Them Cooler

‍

Fact

This is a common myth that always creates a stir even when experts, such as Dr. David Marlin bring up correct scientific ways to cool dogs. The old, and incorrect, argument is that double coats actually regulate the dog’s temperature, helping them keep cool.

‍

To add the controversy – if you really think about it – how? It is not physically possible for a thick, double coat to cool the dog. A coat designed to keep the dog warm and protected in harsher and colder climates where the breed originated from.

‍

Another issue that is incorrectly spread is that shaving a double coat ruins it and it will not grow back properly. In reality, this rarely happens and dogs find great relief from fur removal when it is hot. The welfare of the dog should be the top priority over what is essentially something cosmetic.

‍

Correct Method

Regular grooming and brushing to remove excess fur and mats can help improve air circulation through their coat, aiding in natural cooling. However, if it is very hot and you have a dog with a thick or double coat that is clearly uncomfortable, such as lots of panting even when resting, shave their coat to give them relief. (1)

‍

It may not look as beautiful as its full coat, but you will have a happier, healthier dog and reduce the risk of heat stroke which is life-threatening.

‍

Myth 3: A Fan Alone Can Adequately Cool a Hot Dog

‍

Fact

While fans can provide some relief by increasing air movement, dogs primarily cool themselves through panting, and not sweating. Fans alone are often insufficient for cooling a dog, especially in high heat.

‍

Correct Method

Combine the use of fans with other cooling techniques such as providing a cool, shaded area and using damp, cool cloths on the dog’s body. Cooling mats can also be beneficial as they offer a consistent cool surface for the dog to lie on.

‍

However, the above should be used with caution when you are trying to keep a dog comfortable and are not the best methods to use if you have an overheating dog on the verge of or that is suffering from heat stroke. This is an emergency situation.

‍

These dogs need immediate cooling and the best way is to immerse them in cold water the best you can, such as hosing them off and to contact your veterinarian to immediate treatment.

‍

New research has resulted in the Royal Veterinary College calling for updates to the first aid advice that is still prevalent but outdated, despite the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care’s Veterinary Committee on Trauma guidelines issued in 2016 with the best practice protocols.

‍

The RVC is advising “cool first, transport second as the immediate first aid response for dogs with heatstroke.” (3)

‍

Myth 4: Dogs Can Tolerate Heat Better Than Humans

‍

Fact

Dogs are actually more prone to heat stress than humans because they have fewer sweat glands and primarily cool off through panting and limited sweating through their paw pads. This makes them less efficient at dissipating heat.

‍

Correct Method

Avoid strenuous exercise during peak heat hours, provide plenty of water, and ensure access to shade. Use cooling mats, and cold surfaces, such as concrete or tiles in shade and fans.

‍

Key Steps for Effective Cooling

‍

• Hydration: Always ensure that your dog has access to fresh, cool water. Ice cubes can help keep the water cooler for longer periods.
• Cool Water Application: Wet your dog’s coat with cool water.
• Cooling Mats and Cold Floors: Use specially designed cooling mats that can be soaked in water and retain a cool temperature for an extended period. Provide a cold surface in the shade or in the house for the dog to rest on.
• Shade and Ventilation: Keep your dog in a shaded area with good airflow. Use fans in combination with other cooling methods to enhance their effect.
• Avoid Hot Surfaces: Hot pavement can burn a dog’s paw pads and increase body temperature. Walk your dog on grass and only during cooler parts of the day. Keep walks to a minimum in high temperatures, especially for dogs more prone to suffer the effects of the heat.
• Shave thick coats: Many dogs with thick coats will benefit from shaved coats in hot weather.
• Don’t leave dogs in the car: Despite the warnings every year, many dogs die from being left in the car in hot weather. Even a few minutes is not safe. It is best to leave dogs at home.

‍

Heat stress is an emergency, which we will cover more in another article.

‍

Final Thoughts

‍

Cooling dogs effectively requires debunking myths and relying on scientifically proven methods. Providing access to cool water, using cooling mats, and ensuring shade and ventilation are key steps in managing a dog’s temperature.

‍

As well as keeping dogs out of the heat as much as possible. Understanding and recognizing the signs of heat stress can prevent serious health issues, ensuring that our canine companions stay safe and comfortable in hot weather.

‍

For more information on how you can become a Canine Osteopath, click here

‍

Resources

1. Managing dogs in HOT weather, Dr. David Marlin, https://askanimalweb.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR39bhLupPSjioXcj6UmHMbYCplU1dPuy4DIwRtaL2w5GfZGsBqIN02P4DA_aem_hSL8Wru_qnLIEweTczOYrA
2. Will Ice Cubes and Ice Water Kill Your Dog This Summer?

https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/truth-ice-water-dogs/story?id=24231633

3. The RVC urges owners of hot dogs to “cool first, transport second”, 20 Jul 2023. https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/the-rvc-urges-owners-of-hot-dogs-to-cool-first-transport-second?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LIBaS3elDrfLj0xRd6ZcIyM8aZmWIhvCMU4BU3x27Vowlih5NIM3jXr0_aem_AvcutekAH-fgdNR28_m1Aw
4. Hall et al. (2023) “Cooling Methods Used to Manage Heat-Related Illness in Dogs Presented to Primary Care Veterinary Practices during 2016–2018 in the UK”

‍