McTimoney Animal Manipulation

The McTimoney College in Oxford provided the first validated course in Europe to teach adjusting techniques for animals. It carries on the work of John McTimoney who in the 1950's modified the techniques he used on humans onto animals.

The McTimoney method, a non-invasive holistic approach, works to re-align and balance your animal's musculoskeletal system. The aim of the treatment is to maintain the correct alignment of your animal's spine to ensure the nervous system works efficiently, restoring soundness and performance, health and movement.

During a treatment session, Louise will:

Muscle dysfunction occurs when the fibres of the muscle become shortened, this may be due to overloading, a trauma, injury or orthopaedic issue; poor conformation; unbalanced feet; poor training; ill-fitting tack or dental issues. These problems can cause tissue adhesions in the muscles, which restrict mobility and can cause pain.

Massage can be used to:

• Take a case history, including details of current or past injuries or changes in behaviour.
• Analyse your animal's gait.
• Ask about your animal's exercise pattern and general lifestyle.
• Using hands alone, with a very finely tuned sense of touch, will analyse the spine and pelvis for misalignments or spasm in associated muscles.
• Identify problem areas and treat them with very precise and rapid adjustments.
• Give advice regarding aftercare, which often involves rest and limited exercise.

The McTimoney adjustment is particularly fast and light and aims to overcome any muscle tension. A practitioner is not trying to move bone, but instead uses the adjustment to activate the animal's natural muscle rebound mechanism so that a more normalised or aligned position can be reached.