What Is Functional Integration?
Whether you have a Frisbee loving agility dog or senior animal friend, decreased movement can occur for diverse reasons: inflammation from soft tissue injury (e.g., from infection, trauma, stress, overuse/fatigue; constant micro strains or sprains); an injection reaction; edema; a scar; instability from an under or over mobile joint; lack of exercise; muscle atrophy; an arthritic bone spur; or referred pain, for example, from chronic abdominal conditions (kidney, liver, pancreatic or heart disease). De-compensations occur when the efforts to protect the body in one area start to fatigue resulting in pain in the areas of compensation. Think for example of dogs with hip dysplasia as they struggle to rise from sitting or climb stairs with no thrust from behind. They compensate by shifting their weight forward off their painful hips and are practically standing on their two front paws; chronically pulling themselves up with their forelegs, they become painful in the chest, shoulders, and forelegs. The reverse happens when dogs with elbow arthritis hesitate to go down stairs or get hunched backs as they try to shift their weight to their hind legs. How can we help our animal friends feel more ease in their bodies?
In addition to acupuncture, herbs, and anti-inflammatory medications, manual therapies may be beneficial.
Though certified in chiropractic and having completed advanced courses in osteopathy, I prefer to infuse these studies with my training as an advanced Mind Body Studies (Feldenkrais) practitioner into Functional Integration. During a Functional Integration session, first I would observe your beloved animal's movement and do a brief physical assessment. Then I would invite a small animal to lie on its side, if possible, or to sit, to release the strains induced by standing upright against gravity. Of course, I do not do this with large animals. I manually connect with the soft tissues and then gently access each skeletal joint, moving from the place of greatest ease eventually towards the areas of most restriction. Often by the time I have reached the area of most discomfort, it is no longer painful to touch and readily unwinds from fascial or bony restrictions, if not fused. A session often is ¾ to an hour in length. Typically animals participate with focused inner awareness, learning how to release habitual holding patterns and learning new options for moving, thus fostering positive neuroplasticity. Some fall asleep. Animals sometimes leave sessions with an enhanced sense of mobility and ease, if not expressed immediately, then typically the next day.
This is deep work, affecting the functional movement of the joints, the supportive skeleton, as well as the brain's awareness of how to move with more ease.
In addition to acupuncture, herbs, and anti-inflammatory medications, manual therapies may be beneficial.
Though certified in chiropractic and having completed advanced courses in osteopathy, I prefer to infuse these studies with my training as an advanced Mind Body Studies (Feldenkrais) practitioner into Functional Integration. During a Functional Integration session, first I would observe your beloved animal's movement and do a brief physical assessment. Then I would invite a small animal to lie on its side, if possible, or to sit, to release the strains induced by standing upright against gravity. Of course, I do not do this with large animals. I manually connect with the soft tissues and then gently access each skeletal joint, moving from the place of greatest ease eventually towards the areas of most restriction. Often by the time I have reached the area of most discomfort, it is no longer painful to touch and readily unwinds from fascial or bony restrictions, if not fused. A session often is ¾ to an hour in length. Typically animals participate with focused inner awareness, learning how to release habitual holding patterns and learning new options for moving, thus fostering positive neuroplasticity. Some fall asleep. Animals sometimes leave sessions with an enhanced sense of mobility and ease, if not expressed immediately, then typically the next day.
This is deep work, affecting the functional movement of the joints, the supportive skeleton, as well as the brain's awareness of how to move with more ease.
Comment from the guardian of a 14-years old Shetland sheep dog who has arthritis and metabolic disease:
"Since your treatment, Chase has more bounce in his step and he is doing more fast walking and some trotting. Also, yesterday when he saw me working with some air tools, he begged for me to let him play in the air stream. He likes to bite and snap at it. It has been a long time since he has felt good enough to beg to play with the air hose." Curt, 10/20/2021
"Since your treatment, Chase has more bounce in his step and he is doing more fast walking and some trotting. Also, yesterday when he saw me working with some air tools, he begged for me to let him play in the air stream. He likes to bite and snap at it. It has been a long time since he has felt good enough to beg to play with the air hose." Curt, 10/20/2021