Acupressure:
Points That Heal
by Amy Snow
<
Previous Page
Acupressure
can also play a part in the rehabilitative
process
At 11 months old, Oak, a handsome golden
retriever, was diagnosed with severe hip
dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joint.
Oak’s humans elected to have surgery
to correct the problem since Oak would
most likely experience extreme pain as
he continued to grow to his full size.
Before and after the procedure to reshape
his hip socket, Oak’s humans performed
acupressure treatments. At his one-week
check-up, the surgeon thought he was there
for his one-month check-up. Everyone was
amazed at how quickly Oak had healed from
such extensive surgery.
Acupressure relieves pain and chronic
conditions
 As
our companion animals live increasingly
longer, we are seeing more chronic problems
such as arthritis and immune system weakness.
Amelia is an amazingly healthy, 20-year-old,
longhaired, black cat. When we met her
six months ago, however, she showed signs
of hindquarter weakness and sat hunched
over in the sick-cat position. Her energy
level had decreased to where she barely
made an effort to move at all.
The brightness and love in her eyes told
us she was not yet ready to die. Over
the course of three days, we gave her
three treatments and instructed her human
companions to continue these treatments
every third day. We used Gallbladder 34
(traditionally known as “Yang Hill
Mound”) to relieve joint stiffness
and muscle spasms. Stomach 36 (“Leg
Three Miles”) helped to improve
the immune system, relieve fatigue and
restore strength. Bladder 40 (“Supporting
Middle”) focussed on the lower back
and hip area, while Bladder 60 (“Kunlun
Mountain”), often referred to as
the “aspirin” point, relieved
pain throughout the body. As a result
of the treatments, Amelia regained much
of her energy.
Using acupressure to maintain your animal’s
health allows you to tap into the healing
power available to all of us. A major
part of helping your animal heal is the
intent you bring to each treatment session.
We have seen many people, with little
knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine,
perform an acupressure treatment which
has contributed to their animal’s
recovery and has given them additional
years to enjoy each other's love and companionship.
Acupoints to use in helping to relieve
hindquarter lameness, to strengthen the
immune system and to reduce generalized
pain
Acupressure
Point Work Technique
• Begin point work on medium-sized
dogs and large animals using the direct-thumb
technique. Place the ball of your thumb
on the acupoint at a 90-degree angle to
the animal’s body. For small animals,
place your middle finger on top of your
index finger and hold the tip of your
index at a 90-degree angle to the cat
or dog’s body. Apply about one to
two pounds of pressure, depending on the
size of the animal. For small or delicate
cats and dogs, use less than a pound of
pressure. When you feel resistance, let
up on the point slightly, then reapply
pressure until you feel the resistance
dissolving.
• Keep both hands on your animal.
One hand does the point work while the
other feels the reactions such as muscle
spasms, twitches and other releases.The
hand not performing the point work also
soothes the animal and provides an energy
connection.
• Point work is generally performed
from front to rear and top to bottom.
• Breathe out while moving into
the acupoint; breathe in when letting
up on the point.
• Use partial body weight; this
ensures a smoothness of motion and protects
your thumbs and wrists from stress.
Nancy
Zidonis and Amy Snow are the authors of
Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual,
The Well-Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine
Acupressure and Acu-Cat: A Guide to Feline
Acupressure, as well as a recently released
training video entitled Introducing Equine
Acupressure. They also work with Marie
Soderberg to offer animal acupressure
training clinics worldwide.
In conjunction
with Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio,
Nancy and Amy are currently developing
the first North American, accredited animal
acupressure certificate program which
will include hands-on, classroom and distance
learning. Visit the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure
website at www.animalacupressure.com |
