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Four-Legged Clients... and the bodyworkers who care for themRebecca Jones

Providing therapeutic touch to a canine client.

A smile is acurve that setseverythingstraight

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In this Issue

Four-Legged ClientsAfternoon Essential OilsHandwashing for Your Health

Most bodywork clients appreciate theserenity of a darkened room, withsoothing music playing quietly in thebackground and a touch of scented oilin the air. Then, there are KathiSoukup's clients.

Like a growing number of massagetherapists and bodyworkers, Soukup hasbecome a family practitioner in thebroadest sense of the term. She beganher career working on horses and laterlearned to work on humans. Now, she'sjust as comfortable providing massageand acupressure to four-legged familymembers as two-legged ones.

"I've been in a veterinarian's office witha massage table set up in the middle and

a dozen dogs barking in thebackground," says Soukup, a massagetherapist in Freeport, Illinois, who alsoplies her trade in barns, tack rooms, andanywhere else her clients call home. "Ijust try to find a level spot to work."

As a result, her clientele are as diverse asthe venues in which she practices. "Ihave the trifecta," she says. "I work on

people, their horses, and their dogs."

Denise Theobald, who has a massagepractice in suburban Chicago, went theopposite route. Ten years into her(human) massage career, she thoughtshe was approaching burnout. About thesame time, one of her three dogs beganlimping, and a light bulb went on.

"I'm surprised it took me that long tothink of it," Theobald says. "I alwayswanted to work with animals, butbodywork was my life. It just made sensethat I would take everything that Ilearned in the human world and apply itto cats and dogs."

For the next 14 years, Theobald's human

clientele filled the bulk of her time, butshe made more and more house calls tosee animal clients. "While I was at thehouse for the animal, the owner wouldask, 'While you're here, could you workon my wife?'" In 2010, Theobald closedher human practice and opened CanineMassage Chicago.

Horses may develop similar ailments as their owners.

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"I'd say 70-80 percent of the dogs Iwork on are on a mat on the floor,"Theobald says. "But if a smaller dog iscomfortable up on the table, I use sheetsand change them, just like withhumans." Plus, if a human wants amassage, she'll oblige. "People typicallydon't come here looking to get a massagefor themselves, but they know I'mlicensed and qualified to give humanmassages. There's just some dog hair inthe room."

Learning the Right TechniquesSuch blended animal-human practicesare familiar to animal acupressurepioneer Amy Snow. Snow and herpartner Nancy Zidonis are cofoundersof Tallgrass Animal AcupressureInstitute in Castle Pines, Colorado, andthe authors of eight textbooks on animalacupressure. Snow estimates aboutone-third of the roughly 300 graduatesof the Tallgrass program now haveblended practices.

"We have quite a few licensed massagetherapists in our program," says Snow,who originally trained in Chinesemedicine nearly 40 years ago andteamed with Zidonis 15 years ago. "Theycome because they want to expand toserve the whole family, not just peopleand not just horses."

Tallgrass has lately begun promoting tuina, an ancient form of Chineseacupressure massage, as especiallyappropriate for animals. Snow saysanimals are highly responsive to the tuina techniques of "dredging," or clearingthe meridians through grasping,holding, kneading, pressing, pounding,pushing, rolling, rubbing, and othermanual manipulations.

Snow has worked on everything fromcats and dogs to ferrets, minks, andrabbits, and Zidonis has worked on avariety of larger animals, including goatsand sheep. "She's helped deliver babygoats by using acupressure points to helpthe contractions," Snow says. "It'samazing how receptive any animal iswhen they're not feeling good."

Certain animals are well-suited fordifferent kinds of bodywork. Forexample, Snow finds that cats, who maynot enjoy massage as much as dogs orhorses, especially enjoy tui na. "I findcats and horses to be the most

energetically connected animals," shesays. "They have personalities. Some willlike one thing and not another. Youhave to use your educated intuition."

Reaching All ClientsTherapists experienced in both animaland human massage and bodyworktechniques say they're amazed at howoften pets and their owners seem tosuffer from the same maladies. It'susually not coincidence.

"It is pretty funny how they mirror eachother," Theobald says. "Many times, ifyou have an active dog coming in for asports massage, the owners are fit andactive themselves."

"With horse and rider teams, if thehuman has a stiff neck, the horse maydevelop a stiff neck as well," Soukupsays. "When we ride them and we're notin balance, we may cause them to be out

of balance." Sympathy pains are alsocommon. "I see more emotional thingswith dogs. Dogs live in the house withhumans, and they pick up on thosethings, like anxiety and grief, which canmanifest in physical issues like allergies."

It's clear that both humans and animalscan benefit from receiving bodywork,and these practitioners are proof thatbodyworkers, through working with bothhumans and animals, can benefit, too.

Rebecca Jones is a freelance writer who lives andwrites in Denver, Colorado. This article originallyappeared in the July/August 2013 issue of Massage Bodywork magazine.

Find out which essential oil works best for you.

Afternoon Essential OilsJeanne Rose

Handwashing for Your Health

It's easy to enjoy the benefits ofaromatherapy, even when you're not inthe therapy room. Here are some ways toincorporate facets of aromatherapy intoyour daily routine, and even into yourlunchtime!

Consider having a protein-filled lunchof 4 ounces of chicken breast mixed withsalad. Make sure your salad includes atleast six red and green items combined,such as cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes,carrots, bell peppers, and radishes. Addchopped basil, sage, or sweet marjoram.Make a simple dressing of olive oil andlemon juice. Add culinary essential oilssuch as dill weed and black pepper. Havea glass of aromatic iced herbal tea, andadd to it 1 teaspoon of melissa hydrosol.This is tasty and encourages deepthinking and relaxation. If, however,you need to continue your workday,then add 1 teaspoon of rosemaryhydrosol to your lunchtime iced tea.

Why not take a five-minute scentedbreather for an afternoon break. The

aromatic properties of plants areeffective tonics and energizers. Dabbingthe temples with essential oils orspraying the nape of the neck withhydrosols of rosemary or peppermint isa wonderful way to implement thepotent effects of these distilled plantmaterials. You can also use a mixture ofdistilled water with essential oils ofpeppermint, sage, and basil dissolved inalcohol (10 drops essential oil, 20 dropsalcohol, and a half-ounce of water).Basil and peppermint herb, and theiressential oils, have been used forcenturies as a mental stimulant.

Complete your afternoon break by lyingdown for 3-5 minutes with a couple ofslices of fresh cucumber on the eyes.Cucumber contains enzymes that helpsoften the skin. If the day's work hasbrought on a headache, a drop ofrosemary oil to the temples or aroundthe ears works wonders.

Jeanne Rose has been teaching and researchingnatural remedies for 30 years, beginning with her

first book, Herbs Things.

Handwashing for Your HealthYou know that washing your hands isimportant, but studies suggest that howyou wash your hands is even moreimportant. Washing frequently andthoroughly can help keep you, and thepeople you come in contact with,healthier.

Stay Clean, Stay HealthyResearchers in Denmark conducted astudy in which students at one schoolwere required to wash their hands threetimes a day. According to the study,which was published in the AmericanJournal of Infection Control (August2011), the children that learned newhabits significantly reduced theiramount of absences due to illness.

Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap?A study by the American College of

Preventive Medicine showed thatalcohol-based hand sanitizers are lesseffective than soap at preventingoutbreaks of norovirus in long-termcare facilities. Alcohol-based handsanitizers clean the skin by killing somebacteria, diseases, and germs on theskin's surface, but they don't actuallyremove dirt.

The CDC recommends using thesesanitizers with at least 60 percentalcohol if soap and clean, running waterare not available. Here is some morehand-washing advice from the CDC:

When Should You Wash Your Hands?-Before, during, and after preparingfood and before eating-Before and after caring for someonewho is sick-Before and after treating a cut

-After using the toilet or changingdiapers-After blowing your nose, coughing,or sneezing-After touching an animal or animalwaste-After touching garbage

What Is the Right Way to Wash YourHands?-Wet your hands with clean, runningwater and apply soap.-Rub your hands together to makelather, then scrub the entire hand.- Don't forget the backs of your hands,between your fingers, and under yournails.-Continue for at least 20 seconds.-Rinse your hands well under runningwater.-Dry your hands using a clean towel orair-dry them.

A good laughrecharges yourbattery

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