MY PRACTICE
My practice focuses around restoring and/or maintaining function while reducing pain in the body. I have had more than 96 clinical hours of study designed to facilitate educated observation of specific gait and bio-mechanical abnormalities in humans and animals, moving together or alone. My techniques include, but are not limited to specific types of manual and movement therapy, body re-balancing and energetic osteopathy. These procedures address viscera, blood and lymphatic flow, muscle and fascia tone and quality, and structural integrity to create whole body system bio-mechanic quality.
KINESIO TAPING
In 2014, I was introduced to KinesioTaping and its unique properties in creating movement in fascia. I quickly enrolled and took all the courses available, KT1-KT4, to support my clients’ healing between treatment sessions. It not only supported them, it proliferated ongoing change in the tissue and enhanced the effect of my work so much that I had many return requests for taping.
EQUINE KINESIO TAPING
Kinesio Taping Case A: TB gelding used primarily for eventing and show jumping. Client noticed an inability to tolerate saddle and rider, with back pain and dropped back behind the wither, restriction in shoulder mobility, and inverted neck carriage. All symptoms left greater than right. After completing the osteo work necessary, I continued treatment by taping the following:
BL Trapezius triangle
BL longissimus (anchoring at glute med)
L long head tricep
Much improvement was seen after the initial treatment. I returned monthly for 3 months, applying tape after each treatment. The outcome was the ability to train increased head/neck flexion bilaterally, increased musculature in the back and much improved left shoulder extension. And a happier horse!
Kinesio Taping Case B: Paint mare with kick and injury to R gaskin and hip. Client observed inability to bear weight on R hind, bruising and localized inflammation at the strike site. After completing the osteo work necessary, I continued treatment by taping the following:
BL longitudinal tape over each SI
Right fascial lines between all glute compartments
R Biceps femoris
R lymph tape (which didn’t stay on long) medial stifle
Web tape on the contusions (no skin was broken)
The outcome, first treatment, was increased weight bearing (after the osteo work) R hind, but a lateral paddle, flexion to extension, at the walk. After taping it appeared the proprioception improved so markedly that the gait was aligned tho short in stride. After three more sessions for osteo and taping, the mare was able to return to work.
TRAINING & CERTIFICATION BACKGROUND
I have completed the entire course of Animal Osteopathic Techniques and have practiced for the past 8 years on a variety of animals and humans with resounding success in correcting seemingly unsolvable lameness, restricted movement, and areas of pain.
Scenar Therapy, which is an acronym for “self controlled electro-neuro adaptive regulation” (biofeedback therapy), is a device assisting in neural rehabilitation in the body. As a certified practitioner, I perform this therapy for pain reduction or elimination, facilitating the manual and movement therapy creating healing and homeostasis.
I became a Licensed Massage Therapist with a focus in Kinesiology to facilitate a licensed human practice. I currently have a human. equine and canine practice in the Portland area.
I have worked with horses all my life and professionally for 20 + years. I began as a casual backyard enthusiast riding with my best friend as a child. After high school, aspiring to become a jockey, I learned much as an exercise and stable hand on the fair circuit race track. While in college, I took the opportunity to complete a basic farrier course then offered through Clackamas Community College to further my understanding of the physiology of the equine foot and leg.
During my time as a working student under Joan Kerron, a renowned hunter-jumper trainer, who referred me to a polo pony trainer in Hawaii. Following a new dream, I was off to ride 21 polo ponies on the beach with a position as the exercise rider, riding one and ponying 2 for seven miles in the surf’ on the beach in Laia, Oahu. Great fun and quite another learning experience.
I returned to Oregon after several years, became a tax accountant, got married, had 2 lovely daughters, and continued my relationship with horses (and dogs) as a dressage and jumping student. I began to ride “lay up” horses for Lou Paola, a retired race track trainer whose passion had become healing these track dismissals through care, training and nutrition for their post race track lives. Lou was my catalyst into the study of equine health and nutrition. Mark DePaolo, DVM, a holistic equine veterinarian, taught me much about equine nutrition, kinesiology, and laser acupressure.
I was a competitive eventer and competed in the Hunter – Jumper A circuit. As my children grew, we rode together, they joined 4-H and ultimately the US Pony Club under which I began a local club with a fellow instructor. I was Pony Club DC and a riding instructor for the Pony Club for 10 years with 15-20 children riding in our club at our home’s teaching and training farm. I was Pony Club Regional Supervisor over Oregon clubs for the following 5 years.
In my quest for more understanding about the human and horse relationship, in 1998 – 2005, I trained in an International Equestrian Teaching Certification program called BALIMO an acronym for Balance in Motion. The modules included the Bio-mechanics of Horse and Rider, Psychology of Teaching Riders, Concepts of Training Equines (The German method of equine and equestrian training dressage and jumping) and many more titles – each with a testing and certification. The founders, directors and instructors were professionals from around the world and the workshops required attendance for education in venues all across the US and in Europe. In addition to Balimo, I was concurrently enrolled in the Connected Riding Instructors’ Certification program. I continued my education with certifications in the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program graduating 2 levels and a portion of the 3rd.
In 2003, I completed a Saddle Fitters Program with Balance Saddlery of Great Britain in order to understand the effect of saddle fit on the performance of horse and rider.
As the economy changed, I wanted to ‘outsource” myself into bodywork so I enrolled at East West School of the Healing Arts, whose 800 hour program had a well reputed foundation in Kinesiology, my keen interest. I completed the education there, licensed as a massage therapist which allowed me to pursue the Certification in Animal Normalization Therapy. These courses are the brainchild of Patricia Kortekaas, PT of South Hills Physical Therapy, Eugene, Oregon. Her animal entity is Full Spectrum Canine Therapy. Her work and teaching spans all animals, two and four legs, recently focusing a great deal on horses and fascial lines. Her work is brilliant and my work is largely what I’ve learned there, and is supported by my other skilled modalities, most regularly Kinesio Taping.
I currently utilize my experience and knowledge educating my clients as I perform bodywork therapy on them and their animals. I employ my knowledge as a teacher of riding disciplines and horse training to integrate the horse and rider’s health because relationships between animals and humans are a love and passion running deep in my heart.