- Massage is fundamentally a physical therapy involving manual touch and manipulation of the muscles, fascia and joints to relax tight muscles and assist with the circulatory systems. Reiki generally does not involve touch and works on the energy channels in the specific areas of the body to relieve blockages that cause stress and illness. Massage can be described as physical manipulation, whereas Reiki is energetic manipulation.
- In some instances, physical massage may be contraindicated – e.g. some cancers or open wounds. Reiki therapy is safe for people with any medical condition as it requires no touch or very little touch.
- Reiki can also be performed on a recipient from a distance and is a more recent practice dating back to only 1922 by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Buddhist. Massage requires the physical presence and dates back several hundred years
Both therapies have the same aim to increase and free the unbalanced energy flow in the body and so are complementary to each other. In fact many physical massage therapists use Reiki techniques during a session to concentrate on the emotional and mental well-being.
If you feel that your dog would benefit more from Reiki session, or if physical massage is contraindicated, we have a qualified Reiki practitioner in the AchyPaw team who can perform this alternative complementary therapy.
Additionally, as we are always adding to the toolkit of services that we can offer to dogs and constantly attending courses and workshops we also offer Animal Healing. Read about this here.
As with all complementary treatments, there is no intention to replace veterinarian advice, more to support and enhance the effects and to add to the toolkit of available therapies we can offer to benefit dogs at AchyPaw.
If you are interested in learning more about Reiki or Animal Healing for your dog, please contact us.
