Effect of Equine Sports Massage Therapy on Cutaneous Temperature

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Introduction

Massage therapy is one of the oldest forms of healing dating back 4,000 years to Chinese medicine and commonly is applied to human athletes to improve performance. Massage alleviates muscular soreness by rearranging muscle fibers, increasing microcirculation, improving blood flow and enhancing metabolic waste removal [1], [2], [3]. Increases in skin temperature associated with massage can be related to increased blood perfusion [4].

Equine massage therapy is a growing field, but there is little scientific evidence regarding the effects of massage in equine athletes. The present study objective was to determine if equine sports massage therapy affects skin temperature.

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Materials and Methods

Ten mature horses were used in this project (6 geldings, 4 mares). All horses were involved in a moderate to intense exercise schedule, pastured on Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures and fed a pelleted commercial concentrate ration (Compete, Nutrena, Minneapolis, MN 55440) to meet nutrient requirements. The massage technique used was based on “sportsmassage” developed by Jack Meagher in the 1950s. Sportsmassage applies compression, direct pressure and cross-fiber friction which targets

Results and Discussion

The pilot study determined that 5 min was adequate time for frictional heat produced by the massage therapist to dissipate from the skin and that horses equilibrated to the work area temperature in 15 min.

Mean cutaneous temperatures increased 1.0 ± 0.3°C (P < .02) between pre and 5 min PM images (27.6 ± 0.3 and 28.6 ± 0.4°C, respectively), indicating massage increased blood perfusion with the blood originating from the horses' cores and moving through plexus regions of the skin thereby

Conclusion

Results of this project indicate equine sports massage therapy increased blood flow and skin temperature to regions being massaged, and these increases persisted for more than one hour. This indicates that sports massage therapy may enhance transport of metabolic wastes and fuels and gas exchange which, in turn, aids the performance and condition of the horse. This study shows further research is warranted relating effects of equine massage on factors such as range of motion, force plate

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