I’m Angela Day and I’m a Clinical Canine Massage Practitioner and Canine Fitness & Conditioning Instructor. My company name is Born to Run.
My clinic is based in Bury St Edmunds and perfectly placed geographically for clients who travel to me from Suffolk, parts of Norfolk and Norwich but also South Cambridgeshire and the Suffolk side of Essex.
Growing up I knew nothing of canine medical conditions or disease because our dogs were never ill. Our dogs, ‘our family’, weren’t socialised with groups of other dogs and so I wasn’t exposed to the whole ‘dog world’ in the same way as many other people in my profession. This was perfect as I didn’t carry preconceived ideas.
It wasn’t until I fell for the beauty and challenge of the Siberian Husky many many years ago that I truly began to understand canine behaviour and breed specific needs.
Socialising my huskies with other dog owners began to open up a whole new world of discovery, of possibilities and opportunities.
…..and then I heard about Clinical Canine Massage.
Wilko – Treatment for Unresolved Lameness
I have to be honest my immediate thought was ‘massage for dogs, are you mad?’ But ever the scientist I sought to evidence this for myself. I decided to have my own dog Storm treated as he had a ‘twitchy back’ and had become a bit withdrawn from group play.
It transpired Storms neck was jammed, he was suffering from wide radiating myofascial pain and had trigger points dotted along his spine bilaterally. Ouch!
‘I thought he was lazy when he began to slow down. He was just 3yrs old.’
He was so much more mobile, happier and playful after 3 sessions with a guild therapist that I just had to learn more. Why had I not considered this before?
I used to compete in both sprinting and karate. I myself have sustained soft tissue and muscular injuries and so I understand completely how debilitating muscular injury can be and more importantly how instrumental sports and deep tissue massage was in perpetuating my sporting career. Never in a million years did I think you could apply the same massage principles to dogs. It suddenly made such sense. Physiologically – a muscle is a muscle.
There are so many courses out there but I have a penchant for science and after much research I decided my avenue to excel would be with the Canine Massage Therapy Centre.
Bailey’s Muscular Maintenance Session.
Initially, I just wanted to be able to help my own dogs but yet here I am, today, a Clinical Massage Practitioner and running my own business, Born To Run!
‘Your dog can’t tell you when they are in pain but I can.’
I am trained read to the sometimes very subtle signs of pain and discomfort in dogs and am grateful and privileged to be in a position to help.
I continually challenge myself. There is so much to experience and to learn. These last few years have been a whirlwind and I have found myself stepping out of my normal comfort zone at large Dog Events and Country Shows across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk by performing demos, running talks and demos AND by incorporating have a go massage sessions into those talks I am able to bring massage to life at the same time. This has proven much more popular than I ever imagined.
Canine Massage Talk, Demo and Have a Go Session at Stonham Barnes.
At one of these shows I met with a wonderful Vet, Vince MacNally who before becoming an holistic vet had specialised in orthopaedics for 3 years. He was so impressed by what he saw and heard at one of my demos he invited me to do an interview for his radio show – UK Health Radio. I am very excited to have been given this opportunity and I take the greatest of pleasure in attaching the link to the show.
http://ukhealthradio.com/blog/episode/k9-massage-because-baby-you-were-born-to-run/
I have the deepest admiration for orthopaedic specialists such as Vince and Noel and am keen to promote the benefits of Clinical Massage as ‘the missing jigsaw piece’ for canine patient rehabilitation.
In addition to swedish, sports, deep tissue and myofascial release direct and indirect techniques my advanced specialities also include:-
- Facilitated Stretching
I gently extend muscles within groups which I have assessed as dysfunctional or have been specifically shortened or affected by habitual holding patterns or protective muscle splinting, to improve or restore your dogs full range of movement. It is an absolute favourite with show, working and sporting dogs.
- Advanced Myofascial Release
This really is the icing on the cake and the perfect specialist compliment for the release work I undertake on a daily basis. This involves the freeing up of adhesions on areas of the body usually thought to be inaccessible in dogs. This specialist treatment has meant that my own dog no longer coughs and splutters after she drinks.
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
This is a must for post op recovery from 48-72 hours. I’m one of a select few in the UK who can offer this specifically for your dog.
MLD is a very, gentle therapy which works with your dogs lymphatic system to unblock lymphatic pathways to improve the flow of lymph. This speeds up the process of elimination of toxins (such as anaesthetic) and boosts your dogs immune system.
It also reduces the risk and extent of the clinical manifestation of edema – swelling – to return the body to a state of homeostasis.
The result? A faster more comfortable recovery
Clinical Massage can be a real life-changer.
Visible Results in 1-3 Sessions!
Book a consultation today!
Born to Run – ‘The Freedom of Movement’