If you’ve had experience of osteopathy you will know that we work with the principles of getting things in the best possible set up for the body to work well and be healthy!
Well, why would you want to limit this wonderful therapy to just humans?
I am also qualified to treat patients of the four legged variety too, why shouldn’t they feel the benefits of good movement and function? Osteopathy is eminently suitable for animals as it utilise the osteopath’s famed power of palpation (a very refined sense of touch) to know where needs treating. It’s also a wonderful reminder for me in my human practice that so much of our communication is beyond verbal and I need to trust in what my hands are telling me.
I recently returned from a safari trip to Botswana (I know, lucky me!) where I saw animals in their natural habitat, mostly sleeping and eating to be fair – sounds like a great life right?
Not so, one day we saw an impala with a bad leg, and the guide quite simply stated,
“Well, we know who’s on the menu tonight!”
Implying that he’s going to be a meal for a predator sooner or later – sobering thought.
The animals KNOW the importance of keeping themselves in good health, they simply won’t survive if they’re not in peak condition. While our lives in the UK might be (literally and metaphorically) thousands of miles away from the Savannah, the principles remain the same – look after yourself and you will flourish.
Quite often horse or dog owners contact me because for whatever reason their animal might be struggling with a certain movement, developed an asymmetry or sustained an injury. This animal is telling their owner something isn’t right and the responsible owner listens to it and calls in help.
Or they might be wanting to take their dressage or agility training to the next level and want help with progression, whatever the issue, osteopathy can help! Please do get in touch if you feel this might be of interest, I travel to the owners yard or home, as getting the animals onto the treatment table can be a bit of a challenge.
Amazingly, there are courses learning Osteopathy for Elephants and after getting so up close and personal with these amazing creatures I can only say – watch this space!
Genevieve works with humans on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in our Groombridge Osteopathy practice. Call 01892 671764 to book your appointment. £45 for your first assessment (up to an hour) and then £45 for all follow up appointments.
