Luisa Greig

Canine Myotherapist

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Luisa has been working with dogs in a professional capacity for over 15 years. She runs a busy consultancy practice covering Sussex, Surrey, and parts of Berkshire and Kent, but has travelled as far afield as Essex, Hertfordshire, Norway and Estonia to treat and run workshops. 

She has experience in treating a variety of interesting and complex cases, from dogs with chronic pain and postural issues including those with existing underlying conditions such as osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, spondylitis and other orthopaedic conditions, to those exhibiting more subtle postural, performance, gait and behavioural problems. She aims to provide an empathetic, caring, professional, comprehensive, and effective service, supporting both you and your beloved dog. 

Luisa is also actively involved in the UK dry land sled dog scene.

She is fully qualified (BSc Equine Science, MSc Animal Manipulation, Dip. Canine Myotherapy), insured, and registered with both Galen Myotherapy and IAAT (International Association of Animal Therapists).

She works to a robust and code of conduct, and always with veterinary consent (this is a legal requirement of therapists in the UK). She uses  a combination of detailed case history, visual postural assessment, gait analysis, and hands on palpation techniques to assess your dog, and works closely with you throughout the treatment process so that you are fully informed about what is going to happen during the treatment, your expectations are discussed, feedback on your dog’s issue is provided, and clear, precise aftercare advice is given. She will also liaise closely with any other professionals you and your dog are seeing to ensure a consistent, team approach.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Equine Science

MSc Animal Manipulation

Level 3 Diploma in Canine Myotherapy

Certificate in Canine First Aid

Contact

Tel: 07592 310016

Email: luisamgreig@gmail.com

Web: www.galenmyotherapy.co.uk

Facebook: Luisa Greig / Luisa Greig – Canine Myotherapist

Instagram: @luisagreig_caninemyotherapist

About Galen Myotherapy (various soft tissue massage techniques, joint mobilisations, stretches and functional movement)

Rooted in Swedish massage, Galen Myotherapy is a specialised form exclusively adapted and developed to treat dogs by Julia Robertson over many years clinical experience. Treatments typically use a range of manual (hands on) techniques including various soft tissue massage techniques, myofascial release, joint mobilisations and stretches, as well as functional / remedial exercises. The approach is holistic and function-based, looking at the dog’s posture and movement in it’s entirety. This means that myotherapists don’t simply focus on the presenting problem / area of pain or dysfunction, but the underlying root cause, and secondary muscular referred pain and compensatory issues too. The body is very good at adapting to and disguising muscle dysfunction and pain by transferring load elsewhere, which over time causes a chain of muscle compensation, until this pain and dysfunction becomes chronically established and symptoms become overt, such as a sudden unexplained lameness. Often the compensatory muscular issues associated with a dog’s condition cause them as much pain and dysfunction as the underlying issue itself. Myotherapy treatment helps to ‘unwind’ this compensatory build up process, improves muscle function, helps correct movement and postural issues, treats both acute and chronic muscular  injuries and lameness, reduces muscle pain, helps to improve range of movement and mobility,  and can therefore significantly improve dogs’ quality of life. As such,  myotherapy treatment forms a crucial element of dogs’ multimodal, integrated management regimes and works synergistically with any other treatment modalities your dog may already be receiving.

Myotherapy is very effective in managing the pain, loss of mobility and often severe postural problems caused by musculoskeletal conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis, spondylosis, lumbosacral disease, cruciate disease and patella luxation. So often we think our dogs are simply growing old because changes in their behaviour, mobility and energy levels can be so insidious and gradual , but actually these are often attributable to chronic muscular dysfunction and pain, and absolutely manageable. In our many years clinical experience treating dogs, time and again we have consistently seen significant improvements across these parameters. Myotherapists teach owners to recognise these subtle signs of discomfort in their dogs, allowing accurate assessment of their comfort and mobility levels and monitoring of their improvements to treatment. Myotherapy treatment can also be very helpful as part of a rehabilitation programme after surgery or injury.

Treatment is always choice led, meaning that dogs are handled with utmost respect, empathy and sensitivity, treated at floor level, and without restraint or being muzzled. This enables them to take a break as and when they may need to, and express their boundaries in relation to what they’re comfortable with. Myotherapists understand that often dogs are in pain, and we work ‘with’ them to build a relationship based on trust and communication.