This gorgeous cob had been diagnosed by the vet as having asthma. He was standing in his stable when I visited, totally focused on his breathing; his nostrils flaring, forcibly pushing his breath outwards, a typical symptom of asthma. Orthobionomy is a very gentle holistic method of bodywork, similar to the original osteopathic techniques taught by Andrew Still, where the focus is on the interconnection between the structure of the body and its function and I hoped that working with the structures around the lungs and the bronchi would bring some relief for this beautiful animal.
I focused on releasing tensions in the thorax, working with the rib cage, the sternum and the fascial diaphragm of the cervicothoracic transition, the mediastinum, and the respiratory diaphragm, as well as the Chapman neurolymphatic reflex points for the bronchi and the lungs. I then worked energetically following the path of the bronchi from the lungs up the trachea to the nasal passages.
Immediately after the treatment his breathing didn’t seem to be much changed, however one hour later after some processing, although his nostrils were still flaring somewhat, I could hardly hear his breathing, in comparison to the heavy forced breathing from before. I was very grateful that he had some relief.
Orthobionomy is an extremely powerful, yet gentle way of helping the body to help itself. We practitioners have various “tools” in our toolbox, ranging from manual structural techniques, through dynamic and energetic techniques to working hands-off with the universal energy. I always mix a variety of these techniques, depending on what the body of the horse, or the human, invites me to work with.
Ortho-Bionomy UK ~ Blog 