Shiatsu (Acupressure) - What's your opinion?

[beverleyh]

Last time I promise!

I'm working on a project to study the effects of Shiatsu on horses and would be interested in your feedback/opinion.

Thanks

[Flic]

I think it is quite good, my pony has been shiatsued and quite enjoyed it, the pressure points work in grooming too and its definately not made up. I had Charlie's mum see my pony, but her hubby has given some to both my boys in the form of a cuddle over the stable door-they loved it. I would defintley be interested in using it more.

[CatherineB]

Hi Beverley

I'm just on the point of qualifying as an equine shiatsu practitioner - what do you want to know about? Yes it works very well on a wide variety of physical and emotional issues. Eg I've had some nice case studies where I've helped horses get over behavioural issues, reduced arthritis symptoms, improved the ability of a pony to breathe normally after some weird COPD-lie allergic reaction to something. Other horses have just clearly enjoyed having a treatment, even though they had no specific condition to treat.

However, you need to keep things in perspective - there's no point using a complementary therapy as a sticking plaster for eg poor hoof balance, behavioural problems where the root issue is eg the owner and/or inappropriate training.

For your project I would really recommend (a) going to have a shiatsu treatment yourself so give yourself an idea of what the horses may experience and (b) go to watch a practitioner working on a horse so that you can see the effects (you'd be welcome to come and watch me if you're in Surrey, as long as the owner is happy with that)

I wrote an article on various issues surrounding complementary therapies which may interest you. See the thread "The role of the practitioner" on the site

www.network54.com/Forum/235380

BTW Shiatsu and acupressure aren't the same thing. Acupressure is acupuncture using finger pressure, an ancient form of Chinese medicine. Shiatsu was adapted from acupressure by the Japanese relativelt recently and incorporates a wider variety of techniques (stretches, rotations, massage etc)

Catherine

[rust]

I know nothing about it but its been around so long it must be of use. If it was rubbish it would have died out as a fad a few years after someone developed it

hope you get what i mean. I wouldnt hesitate in having it done to me or my horse.