There’s an almost palpable release of tension as the massage therapist’s strong, trained hands move skillfully over the patient’s body â€â€? easing pain, relaxing muscles, soothing away cares and eliminating stress. It’s just what the patient needed.

Only in this instance, the massage therapist doesn’t expect a verbal thank you. Just a lick, whimper or a nudge with a cold nose will do.

This is, after all, canine massage therapy.

Canine massage therapy? We’ve all heard of therapeutic massage, and many people routinely take advantage of its healthful and healing properties. But massage therapy for dogs? Is someone barking up the wrong tree?

Not if you talk to Stephanie Dunlap of Staunton. Dunlap, a certified massage therapist who also owns and operates Head Start for Puppies dog training, has combined her massage skills with an abiding love for dogs to offer what is the first canine massage therapy service in the area.

It’s not an idea that just sprang, fully formed, into her head. Years ago she became interested in homeopathic and alternative healing methods for herself, which led her to explore similar avenues for animals. One thing led to another â€â€? her own dog had autoimmune problems and seemed to respond well to alternative treatments â€â€? until, at last, she decided to obtain official massage training.

For people, that is, with an ulterior motive.

“On my first day of massage therapy training five years ago, the instructor went around the room and asked us what we hoped to do with the skills we were going to learn,” Dunlap said. “People said they wanted to work in pediatrics or geriatrics, or to help cancer patients â€â€? that kind of thing. Then my turn came and I said that while I liked working with people, what I really wanted to get into was canine massage.”

The 14 people in the class stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Dunlap as though she’d just stepped off a spaceship from Jupiter.

“I said, ‘I’m not kidding,’ and then I had to explain what it was,” Dunlap said.

And just what is it? Dunlap explained that canine massage therapy is the application of hands-on, deep-tissue massage techniques to the voluntary muscle system of dogs, for the purpose of increasing circulation, reducing muscle spasms, relieving tension, enhancing muscle tone, promoting healing and increasing range of motion.

“Since canine massage therapy is relatively new, people are naturally curious as to what purposes it serves,” she said. “Well, just think of a use for massage therapy in humans, and those same uses can be applied to dogs. It relieves stress and pain; it can speed healing after surgery; it can increase flexibility and improve muscle tone; and for dogs with hip issues, it can help mobility.”

Dunlap, who also works her massage magic on human clients at Artemis in Staunton, said one of the great pleasures of practicing canine massage therapy is seeing the immediate effects of her work.

“Sometimes I’ll be working a particular area, and I can feel the dog relax under my hands, and I can actually see, at times, a look of relief on their faces,” she said. “I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. Dogs can be very expressive, and I have seen them respond immediately and positively to the massage.”

Because she was already a certified massage therapist and familiar with the basic physiology of muscles, Dunlap was able to study at home through the PetMassage Research Institute in Toledo, Ohio. Her training taught her the location of each major muscle and muscle group in the canine, the performance activity controlled by each and the problems that could arise if those muscles didn’t receive adequate circulation.

Jonathan Rudinger, co-founder of PetMassage, said canine massage therapy is not yet part of mainstream thinking when it comes to pet care, but neither, he said, was traditional massage for people. It took a number of years and breaking down of stereotypes before therapeutic massage entered the mainstream.

“You’d be surprised how few veterinarians understand the importance of canine massage therapy,” he said. “I explain it to them this way â€â€? that what I’m doing when I massage an animal is creating an environment inside the dog that makes whatever work they will do easier to accomplish.”

Rudinger said it’s catching on. In 1987, when he started PetMassage, a quick search of the Internet found only 29 responses to the “canine massage therapy” query. Today, you can routinely find more than 380,000 hits for the same query.

Dunlap is hoping that canine massage therapy in this area will gain in popularity. She said that while she currently makes home visits, she hopes that one day she will develop working relationships with local veterinarians in which she could be available at clinics on a regular basis.

“I think what’s most important for a canine massage therapist is to have a love for animals and a desire to help alleviate pain and suffering,” she noted. “However, people should also know that it’s a great way to make your healthy dog simply feel better, and to improve his or her overall health.”

via www.newsleader.com