PRACTITIONERS

I have practiced small animal medicine for 35 years. There are a variety of problems that I encountered for which I was unable to find a straight forward solution. Behavioral problems such as aggression between cats, periuria without a medical cause, anxiety including separation anxiety, destructive behavior (for example chewing on walls and door jambs), aggression towards people and apparent inability to learn.  Of course there are many other issues. 

These issues can be traced back to development disturbances which result in a foundational gap or weakness resulting in vulnerability, feelings of vulnerability, lack of stability. Some animals tend to be very reactive, often to normal environmental stimulation.  Often they can not feel the here and now safety of their circumstances because they didn’t have a safe nest.  Rescue animals (abandoned animals), animals separated from their mothers too early or lose their mothers, animals that have medical procedures during critical developmental periods are some examples. Cell memory is a subject that has gotten a lot of  attention and has been recognized as a powerful influence.  A dog or a cat cannot consciously remember an event that has happened during the first 3 to 4 months of post natal life but the memory lives in its cells, in its subconscious.  The result is subconscious behavior created by a past experience.  The behavior is then not in harmony with the animal’s here and now reality.  Certain stimuli from the outside world can “trigger” an animal into a behavior because the stimuli touch a traumatic memory in the cells of the animal or, touch a gap (they don’t have the foundation to handle that experience), suggesting to the animal impending pain or danger, either physical or psychological.  Using other words, the animal meets a circumstance that they feel they can’t handle or that they truly can’t handle. The animal reacts and they often do not know what they are doing. Again, the reaction is essentially a subconscious or unconscious act, not relevant to their here and now circumstances.

Techniques to activate suppressed cell function and suppressed development have been created by Dr. Brouw.  Animals are very sensitive and responsive to these techniques.  They recognize nature, healthy nature and surrender when they are given the input that they need, in safety, when we allow them to have the experience that they need.

A dog or a cat cannot consciously remember an event that has happened during the first 2 to 3 months of age but lives with the memory in its cells.

Using the method of Niek Brouw, understanding developmental needs can help to recognize where an animal is vulnerable. So many dogs and cats have had problems during their nest development and as a result lack inner security. As a result they need a lot of stability around them, most often more than can be reasonably provided. As a result they can carry abnormal tension in their muscles that gives them a feeling that they can survive. This survival tension (and resulting “survival” behavior), which can include abnormal posture allows them to feel safe. This tension is often upside down relative to what their nature is, so a natural extrovert can have too much internal rotation of the limbs (introvert posture) because he or she felt unsafe or was unsafe for them to be what is natural for them.  The behavior is often upside down relative to the reality of their circumstances.

Exercises exist that can release abnormal tension and restore healthy optimal tension in the muscle chains of an individual. When the optomal tension is restored for an individual there is the possibility for them to be relaxed in their situation and be happy and behave in a relevant fashion.

Abnormal tension in an individual is known to be disease producing.  Abnormal tension in muscle chains result in abnormal tension on the joints and the spinal column. Restoring optimal tension and balance in the muscle chains can minimize stress and optimize function of the joints and the vertebral column.

The results improve locomotion, physical performance, happiness and reduce stress on the joints and spinal column

Research on the muscle chains was done for human beings by Godalieve Denys-Struyf and Brouw. The muscle chains have been described and give the body specific functions for movement, eg exorotation, endorotation, bending forward, stretching forward, for horizontal movement and vertical movement. Psychological functions correspond to the muscle chains: extroversion and exortation, introversion and endorotation, emotional receptivity and bending forward, emotional expression and stretching forward. Physical health and function is also affected by tension in the muscle chains.  Abnormal tension for an individual in the muscle chains can, for example, have an effect on lower back pain.  A link to an abstract from the paper from the work of Denys-Struyf can be found on the website niekbrouw.nl. “Treatment of nonspecific LBP using the GDS method provides greater improvements in the midterm (6 months) in terms of the pain, functional ability, and quality of life perceived by patients than the conventional treatment based administered in primary care.”

By applying the knowledge of the muscle chains and the exercises created by Brouw and Denys-Struyf to animals, natural healthy tension can be restored in an individual and result in natural healthy function.  The results improve locomotion, physical performance, happiness and reduce stress on the joints and spinal column. Because the animal feels balanced their perceptions are improved and unwanted behaviors can resolve.