TherapeuticWorx

05/11/2020

A great little visual of fascia. Isn't is amazing how it is everywhere, even in the food you cook for dinner! If you pull the meat apart you will also see the muscle fibers being enclosed in little fascia pockets, something that is truly amazing to see.

It makes way more sense why the tissue needs to be released of restricions and rehydrated when you the structures and tissue it surrounds

02/10/2020

People don't realise what impact scar tissue has movement and range of motion. Any scar can leave reduced range of motion and movement, the severity of it differs from scar to scar and horse to horse

This article on active scars and their effect on movement by manual therapy innovator Dr Karel Lewit is an important read for all therapists who work with soft tissue injuries. NKT prioritizes scar tissue because of its effect on motor control.
https://www.rehabps.cz/data/JMPT%20Scar_web.pdf

24/09/2020

Amazing fascia.

This photo was taken after the skin was removed from the equine leg during a whole horse dissection that I did. Fascia holds everything together and is present in the whole of the horses body (and humans too).

Some fascia is full of water and substances to help it glide, and other deeper fascia is thick like tendons.

It holds nerves, lymph vessels and nerves. It covers muscles tendons and ligaments.

It seems to be a bit of a buzz word in 2020 but I think bodyworkers have known about it for a long time.

Feel free to comment as I love learning from you and so do my followers.

My studies-

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

My supporter-

Australian Farriers Conference https://www.australianfarriersconference.com.au

YouTube-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZyYceJ1CXR7LVpJm4Y3tA

06/09/2020

Here's a very insightful and educational short video for a Monday morning. You got to start the week right, right?

Hope you guys have a good week!

30/08/2020

Yes, yes, yes! 👏👏

Good evening everyone! Buckle up because this is a long sweary rant... I apologise for the swearing...

Why I don’t like the “checked by vet and all clear” phrase, when addressing behavioural issues.

I come across this phrase all the time and mostly it is when someone is at their wits end with their horse’s behaviour... but occasionally it seems to crop up when someone wants to hear that their horse is “just being an arsehole”.
They’ll be there, emphatically stating “there is just NOTHING wrong with him/her” and this is followed by assurance from everyone else that because the “vet checked”, the behavioural issue is entirely the horse’s fault, and this gives the owner the justification to bring in *insert honcho cowboy/bigger gadget/stronger bit/give it a few good slaps/crack an egg on it’s head bu****it*.

I’ll be frank with this- it makes my blood boil.

Have a look at me. Look at any picture or video of me, going about my day, riding, teaching, parenting, mucking out, hanging upside down from a pole etc etc. I look like your average healthy, reasonably active person.

But I have a problem somewhere in my hip that causes me excruciating pain when I move my leg laterally. I have had painkillers, physio, doctor assessment, Xrays, consultant assessment, MRI with contrast, a different consultant assessment, an hour’s ultrasound investigation and several very painful, massive steroid and local anaesthetic injections. I currently survive on Naproxen.

No one has successfully diagnosed me yet. No one can tell me with any accuracy, what is wrong with me. And you would not know there was anything wrong with me from my weight, the fit of my clothes, how I exercise or what I eat. I’m sound in walk, trot and canter...

I also have a hernia, a shoulder that has limited movement, two fingers that don’t work, a thumb that has lost its UCL, a painful big toe and anxiety from previous history of living with domestic violence... but I digress...

So now imagine I’m generally pretty calm and happy, but I can’t talk. And you try to make me exercise in a way that causes the excruciating pain in my hip to flare up- I am going to do the only thing I can do and stop doing the exercise or try and get away from you. If you then continue to push me, the pain would likely make me defensive and at some point, let’s be honest- I am going to punch you directly in the face.

Now have a look at your horse and apply the same logic... at what point do you say he has been sufficiently “checked”?

Let’s say you had all the investigative procedures done that I’ve had done to myself and you haven’t found any problems. If your horse is me, we both know we are still in a lot of pain. But you’ve found nothing, so we’ve been “checked” right?
So now you go to some honcho cowboy who claims he can “fix” your horse in a few sessions, and nothing your horse says now will matter- honcho cowboy won’t stop bullying him and he cannot escape. He has no choice but to comply. He still hurts.
He stops fighting. He is “fixed”. Yay for you.

I now want you to imagine your horse has had to be PTS and you do an autopsy that perhaps reveals he had a brain tumor. Or arthritis in his SI. Or leukaemia. Or a thick tendon that was maybe causing him a lot of pain... are you still happy with what you did or are you now thinking “if only I’d known he was in so much pain”? At what point would you have listened? Because your horse was already communicating with you when he started “being naughty”.

I’m not saying 100% of behavioural issues are pain related; they aren’t. Many are down to bad training, bad husbandry or previous negative experiences. But the vast majority I have seen and worked with, began with a physical cause.
On such a large skeleton, with so many limbs and things that could go wrong do you really want to assume he is “just being naughty”?!

Rant over...

21/08/2020

I very often get asked what is fascia and how it works. I try and answer the question in the best way possible for you to understand but because it is not a structure like muscles or bones that we are all familiar with, it is something hidden inside your body and something you're not familiar with, it does make it hard to comprehend.

So here you go! ☺️ here is a video to show you how fascia works and show you the visual effects so you too can understand exactly what the tissue does when it is restriced and tight and why is it important to release this complex 3-dimensional tissue.

I hope you'll find the video educational. If you have any questions, please ask. I'm more than happy to answer any as I do know the tissue can be a bit confusing at times.

If you like what you see and would like to give it a go, I am available to come and give treatments to your horse to release the restrictions in their body. It also gives you the opportunity to see Myofascial release first hand and ask as many questions as you like 😊

Happy weekend everyone!

12/07/2020

https://fasciaguide.com Have you heard about connective tissue? You know that thin tissue around our muscles? New research shows that the connective tissue i...

04/05/2020

To improve your horse’s walk …

Imagine that he moves like a jungle cat rather than an uptight chicken. The movement should be smooth and flowing throughout his whole body from his rear to his nose.
—Lois Yukins

🎨 Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz

17/04/2020

Here's something for you to read if you have some time to waste... If not, it's still a good read 😉

The link takes you to a quick, bullet point explication of what fascia is, how it was thought about before and how it's thought about now after more indepth research done in recent years. At the end of the bullet point article, you'll find a few links within the site that explains things in a more, user friendly way. It explains the fascia, extracellular matrix, collagen, the components of fascia just to name a few.

Fascia plays such an important role in our everyday, day to day lives. I think it is important to have an understanding of the tissue, how it works, what it does and what causes restrictions within the tissue that could lead to pain, mobility issues, restricted movement etc.

Why have some of you not heard of fascia? Dating back a fair few years, the people dealing with the fascia did not think it was an important tissue, they were studying bones and muscles and the white tissue that they had to scrape off the outside of the structures and organs were just 'in the way'. They overlooked its importance because that was not what they were studying or working with. Someone questioned what this tissue was and that was when the magic started. Heaps of research has been done and is still being done on the tissue to explore exactly how it benefits the body and to fine tune the purpose it serves. Turns out the tissue is way more than just a stringy, spiderweb structure (Google images on fascia and you'll see what I mean). Fascia is essentially the backbone of your entire body.

We all have a basic (or a more indepth) understanding of how muscles, bone structures, cells, blood vessels, ligaments and pretty much the whole human body works... Why not take a moment to understand how the three-dimensional tissue that surrounds, supports, protects and sends vital information to the above mentioned structures work to form 'the complete picture'

The old way of explaining Fascia, as a thin layer around muscles, is obsolete. It is ONE system & this insight completely changes how we look at the body.

25/02/2020

Ribs are such an important thing to assess and treat accordingly when we're looking at a horse. I've had numerous horses with very tight intercostals, girthy horses that when you palpate the ribs and girth it is lumps and bumps galore. A lot of mobility and breathing issues result from this area too.

It is oh so important to keep your horse supple and moving freely. Apart from getting it looked at by a therapist, there are also heaps of stretches and exercises you can do to help free up this area.

Remember to get your horses looked at when a problem arises or when you notice a change in their behaviour. It is easier and takes less time to get them back on track when you catch issues quickly rather than waiting too long and have a small thing become a big thing.

Happy Tuesday! ☺️🐴

28/01/2020

Here's something interesting for a midweek read

There is growing awareness of the way mechanical forces affect biological processes, and this understanding is advancing treatment options.

18/01/2020

07/01/2020

A bit of info for those of you wondering what Myofascial Release therapy is...

Myofascial Release (also called fascial release or MFR) is the rehydration and release of the three-dimensional connective tissue found literally, everywhere in your body. Now when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. Fascia surrounds muscles, bones, your brain, spinal cord, even the tissue tendons are made out of is within fascia and you guessed it, it is even around blood vessels.

It surrounds, separates and protects the body, organs and structures within as well as allow for proper cell metabolism and communication. Not only that but fascia plays a vital role in how the body moves and is basically the stuff that keeps us up and 'on our feet' instead of us collapsing in a heap.

Fascia is an incredibly strong tissue, one person describes it as 2-8 X's stronger than the muscles it surrounds. Any event that occurs in the body shapes this fascia, trauma, exercise, over-exertion, bad posture, you name it and it all makes an imprint on the fascia to either elongate the fascia to create a supple environment or puts it under pressure/strain/stress. That's when the body starts hurting.

How do I help with the pain you're experiencing? By using a soft, hands on technique I'm able to find the restrictions and by using the electric components of the fascia, I'm able to release the restrictions and allow the tissue to return to its intended state. By doing so I'm also rehydrating the tissue, which is mainly made up of ground substance (which has lots of water) and I'm sure I don't need to describe how fantastic it feels to have a drink when you're completely parched.

By receiving Myofascial Release therapy you are allowing the body to return to its original intended state. MFR can assist in increased range of motion, improved stamina, giving comfort to muscle injury and scars, improve circulation, reduced pain, proper cell function and that's only to name a few.

Fascial release is not a massage. It is a hands on therapy technique that is very soft and non invasive that most people find very relaxing for both the mind and body. MFR does not necessarily follow a step by step routine, instead we use the tissue to guide us to the area where the work is needed. The body has amazing ways to let you know where it hurts if you just take the time to listen.

Treatments are available if you'd like to give it a go. If something is not quite right with your equine, it might be time to get it checked out ❤️

P.s fascia is found in all living beings, so the read up reads true for horses, humans, dogs, cats etc etc

18/12/2019

That feeling when it's nearly weekend 😍

17/12/2019

❤️ FASCIA. As with much in life if you look for patterns you will find them. This is certainly true of anatomical imbalances and their transitional effects through the system be it muscular or fascial.
As you can see from this fantastic diagram, what looks like a spiderweb (taken from Practical steps in rehabilitating your horse by Sara Wyche) is actually a depiction of fascia, on the left healthy balanced with no restriction and on the right quite obviously compromised.
The pinch points where you can see the web gathering unevenly are indignant of areas of fascial tightness but just as importantly look at the secondary effects as the distal areas of the web become involved exasperating the initial primary issue (this may cause something other than just fascial issues such as muscular atrophy/injury/weakness etc but in this scenario I am focusing on fascia).
For every action there is a reaction and so more often than not fascial restriction isn’t isolated to the primary area of interest as it can follow chains and encompass full body transitional effects.
Fascia’s job is to prevent friction of not only the surrounding muscular skeletal tissue but for example also the internal organs as it surrounds and encompasses everything on both a deep and superficial level.
Imagine you have oil on your hands and think how smoothly and seemlessly you could wring your hands together in any variation of direction. Now imagine you have a piece of cling film on both hands and try to produce the same movement... it will be greatly restricted and start to bunch and become adhered, this is a similar scenario of healthy and compromised fascia.
When we treat your horse (or yourself) we work on both muscular and fascial release as one isn’t the same outcome without the other.

09/12/2019

Here's an interesting one with pictures to illustrate! Fascia, fascia, fascia!! Dissection photos of fascia, bam, there you have them, pictures of where the fascia is found around the stomach, bam, there you have them. Photos of how it all fits together inside your body, bam, you have it.

I find it fascinating. When I describe fascia as a tissue that surrounds and separates everything, that is literally what I mean. "The deep fascia enclosing the muscles divided into: superficial, intermediate and deep layers." I mean, mind blown right. That sentence translates to the fact that you have a muscle, which is surrounded by fascia and then inside that muscle is little pockets of muscle also surrounded by fascia 🤯

Note that they mention about adhesions eg, scars, causing restrictions in the fascia which then results in less joint mobility and well as a loss in flexibility. If you read a bit further down you'll also see they say that tight or shorten abdominal muscles can eventually lead to back pains. I'm sure that is something you've never thought of. Have a look at the dissection photos of fascia (the white stuff covering the body) , it is an absolute massive tissue that covers your body and encase everything inside it.

Have a look at the guy's page. He's got so many good write ups with links etc that you can follow and read up about the fascial connections in the human body. Also has a lot of info regarding sciatic issues which I know a lot of you struggle with (fascia release is great for this BTW!) The tissue was always overlooked but people are realising it's importance and intense studies are being done on fascia, how it works and how it fits in with our bodies.

If you have any questions regarding fascia or how it works feel free to message me, I'd love to share what I know! If you want to try it, let me know too! It is truly a very beneficial therapy!

25/11/2019

Such a beautiful read, have you found your heart horse yet? I've found mine 💜

Once in every equestrian’s life, they will meet a special horse.

This horse wont necessarily be a Badminton winner or dressage champion. They won’t always carry multiple titles or be the most talented with the best breeding.

Very often, these horses are nothing more than ordinary. They might have the odd lump here or a strange marking there. They probably won’t tick all the boxes for conformation and they will probably have some character “quirks” that not everyone will be able to see past.

You don’t find these horses, they find you. They can come to you by accident or hide in plain sight. They are the one rescued from the meat man or the one in the last stable at the dealing yard. They are the last horse you go to see before you give up searching or the scruffy three year old stood in a field of mud. They are the horse you never even knew you needed.

People will raise an eyebrow when you say this is your “best horse”. Not everyone will see what you see and that’s ok because this horse will be special to you. They will unlock little things inside you and make you feel more at home than you’ve ever felt anywhere else in your life.

They may not always be easy, in fact they might be anything but easy, but it doesn’t stop you loving them. I’m not saying the will follow you round the arena with no lungeline, or that you can ride them tackless down the beach... but you’ll have your own connection that is hard to describe and even harder to explain.

There is no rhyme or reason as to why this horse is so special. You don’t have to have won at every event or defied death together to validate your relationship, it just happens.

You won’t feel this way about another horse. Sure, there will be ones that come close and it doesn’t stop you loving any other horse just as much as this one, but this one is special. This is your heart horse.

Some people stumble across their heart horse early on in their life, others wait a lifetime to meet, but somewhere out there is a horse that was made for you, so if you haven’t met them yet... be patient, they will find you.

They might not always be the horse you want, but they will always be the horse you need.

13/11/2019

Something cute to get you through the week ❤️