Equine Massage Therapy, Canine Massage Therapy, Acupressure, in the Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Milton, Pace, Panama City, Tallahassee and Northwest Florida as well as Alabama, Indiana, and Illinois.

Sigh & Relief Equine and Canine Massage Therapy

Allison Sokol - Providing physical relief,
with therapeutic massage, one animal at a time.

Massage has long been a critical part of our healing culture. The benefits realized by humans are equally effective for animals. Properly applied to superficial, middle, and deep muscles, massage treatment is effective in improving an animal's flexibility and range of motion. It works to relieve pain, eliminate toxins, and relieve tension.

(Click on image for larger view)

Allison performing acupressure and massage therapy on "Gato".

A big yawn from Gato Gordo, an Arabian-Trakehner owned by Connie Greenhut, shows he's certainly enjoying his massage!

Acupressure is a way of restoring or maintaining health with the aid of meridians. These are channels in the body along which energy flows. They are located just beneath the skin.

How Massage Therapy and Acupressure Can Benefit Your Animal

I have always been the type of owner/rider looking for that extra asset to help my horses and dogs perform and feel their best. For example, each of my horses has always had a properly-fitted saddle and, for those who were older or in heavy competition, received edible supplements like msm/glucosamine chondroitin, acupuncture or biotin. However, there always seemed like there was something more that could make their strides more supple and elastic, their turns more fluid, their bodies less achy after a big show, or still want to kick up their heels as a geriatric. I would have jumped at the chance to know that massage therapy and acupressure could have been the extra benefit for their overall health, training, and well-being. However, I now know that massage therapy and acupressure:

1) Elongates connective tissue which breaks down or prevents the formation of adhesions
and reduces the danger of fibrosis (scar tissue).

2) Enhances muscle tone and increases range of motion.

3) Expedites injury and surgical recovery by increasing blood circulation, oxygen flow, and
metabolism which help remove toxins such as lactic acid or anesthesia.

4)     Helps relieve muscular spasms from heavy competition, arthritis, immunodeficiency
        disorders, or cancer (or end of life comfort) by releasing endorphins; nature’s own “feel
        good” medicine.

5) Promotes relaxation and stress reduction, especially for socially withdrawn animals, by
re-establishing symmetry with his or her 12 meridians and 8 extra-ordinary vessels.

6) Can be utilized as a highly effective diagnostic tool—areas of muscle tension, swelling and
growths can be more easily detected.

7) Can reduce the output of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH--the stress hormone)
and aid in developing a resistance to infection in later.

8) Can assist with bowel movements or gas release in colic episodes.

*Please note that massage therapy and acupressure are effective forms of holistic treatment; however, they are not considered a replacement for veterinary care.


Abbi, a lovable Lab/Pitbull Terrier mix, is owned by Kathy Sellers of Mary Esther, FL.	(Click on image for larger view)

Equine Massage Therapy, Canine Massage Therapy, Acupressure, in the Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Milton, Pace, Panama City, Tallahassee and Northwest Florida as well as Alabama, Indiana, and Illinois.

Allison Sokol - Providing physical relief, with therapeutic massage, one animal at a time.

How Massage Therapy and Acupressure Can Benefit Your Animal

Allison Sokol - Providing physical relief,
with therapeutic massage, one animal at a time.