Claire Brandreth
Upledger CranioSacral Therapist - CST-T MCSS
Canine CranioSacral Therapist - CCCTT
Equine CranioSacral Therapist - CECTT
What is Canine CranioSacral Therapy?
Canine CranioSacral Therapy, is similar to human CranioSacral Therapy and was derived from Osteopathy. CST was originally developed for humans by Dr John Upledger and he later developed his techniques to enable dogs and small animals to benefit from CST in the same way humans do.
He developed the hand positions to adapt to a dogs body and during treatment, like with humans, there is no manipulation and by just using a very light touch on the head, spine, diaphragms (body of the dog), sacrum, pelvis and nerve passages any restrictions are released. The movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord is then optimised and any misaligned bones are restored to their correct position as well as removing any restrictions in the muscles.
Another important area I work with, is the dogs fascia which is a continuous layer of connective tissue that surrounds the entire body as well as the organs, muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels.
CST has also proven to be very successful in treating the following canine conditions and situations:
- Hip dysplasia
- Leg injuries / Lameness / Paralysis
- Improve flexibility and mobility
- Head injuries / Traumas
- Spinal injuries
- Behavioural problems / Anxiety / Fear
- Arthritis
- Scar tissue
- Blocked tear ducts / Leaking eyes
- Ear infections
- Breathing issues
- Post spay / Neutering surgery
- Reduce pain, swelling and discomfort post surgery
- Seizures
CST treats the whole body of the dog from head to tail leading to an improved overall well being.
What does a Canine CST treatment involve?
The initial treatment will usually last around 1 hour and 15 minutes and includes a thorough assessment of your dog, a full case history and then the treatment itself. Initially, I will assess your dog on their movement in walk, trot and turning. I will then palpate your dogs head, body and the movement of their shoulder, hips and legs to locate and release any restrictions.
The signs of release I look for will be licking and chewing, yawning, sighing, softening of the eyes, lowering of the head and neck.
During the treatment I will continually assess both your dogs physical and physiological state to ensure that the treatment is both effective and enjoyable.
If during a treatment there have been large releases in the body of your dog they may feel some post-treatment soreness and I will let you know should this be the case.
Ideally, after a treatment your dog will have a relaxing rest of the day with no walks.
Subsequent appointments will be approximately 1 hour long.
Why should I try Canine CST?
CST allows your dog to adjust and release at their own pace. This non invasive, calming and relaxing approach is extremely gentle and subtle and works at a deeper level than that of a more technique based treatment such as massage or physiotherapy. I will listen to your dogs tissue and muscle movement, as this helps to guide me to where the restrictions are being held.
Canine CranioSacral treatments will help your dog correct any physical imbalances caused by injury as it helps to resolve these problems and rebalance their bodies.
CST works extremely well with nervous, shy and anxious dogs. I will work with your dogs central nervous system, decreasing the ‘fight or flight (sympathetic) and helping to increase the ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic) nervous system. It is through this process that the body can allow its self-healing mechanism to work and relieve internal stressors.
Canine craniosacral therapy isn’t just for young and working dogs and can be beneficial for older dogs. Just like us as they became older their muscles and tissues can lose their flexibility, with joints becoming stiffer and moving less freely. As they become older their behaviour may change and they may start struggling with their normal day to day activities, like finding it difficult to walk, run after a ball or jumping into the car. Using CST can help to keep your older dogs bodies remain flexible and mobile and keep them pain free, as well as preventing other problems from occurring.
My Dog doesn't have a physical injury but has emotional problems?
Not only does Canine CST help the physical body of the dog, it can also help with the emotional side. Sadly some dogs haven’t had the best start in life or may have been mistreated at some point.
This emotion can become trapped in the dogs body tissue ‘ muscle memory’. A CST treatment can help release this trapped emotion, enabling your dog to move on physically and emotionally. CST treatments can help to maintain your dogs emotional wellbeing, especially if they are of the more sensitive nature.
Frequently asked questions
You can reach me on the following email: clairebrandreth@valecranial.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The reason I will treat the whole body during an appointment is because It is important to evaluate the entire dog during each treatment. On occasions, the area that seems to be the problem is in fact compensating for an underlying issue elsewhere in the body. A dogs body is connected by a web of fascia which allows me to connect anywhere in the body. For
example, I could be treating the stifle but also be treating the lumber area at the same time. Canine CranioSacral Therapy is a whole body treatment creating an overall balance throughout the dogs system.
It is impossible to put an exact figure on the amount of sessions your dog may require as a CST treatment is completely individual and no two dogs experience the same results. The condition I am treating maybe treated within one session or may require more, as we cannot predict how the body will react to CST or how in-depth the restrictions are. A dogs body has its own ‘inner treatment plan’ the same as humans and it’s my role as a therapist is to assist in following it.
No your dog does’t have to have a specific injury to benefit from Canine Craniosacral Therapy. I work to balance the central nervous system which has a whole body healing affect. However, if you just want your dog to feel more relaxed, for example if they have just come back from dog agility or just a fun walk, a CST treatment can be beneficial to help get the stresses and excitement out of their system. As well as improving the general overall well being of a dog, CST can help to
prevent injuries from occurring.
Contact me
My phone number is 07990 331346, please leave a message if I am unable to answer your call, I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you would like to have a chat to discuss anything before booking an appointment or you have any other questions regarding CST, then please feel free to contact me using the enquiry form below.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential.