Massage (from Greek ?massein?= to knead, to shape) is the
oldest form of physical therapy, used in the past by different civilization, with
the purpose of relieving pain and relaxing muscles, keeping fatigue at bay.
Massage can be performed both to reassure and prepare the animal before
any kind of therapy and for its physiological effects in any kind of locomotor
pathologies.
Various results have been achieved: local hyperaemic effect which increases
tissular trophism removing catabolyts;
lymph drainage effect;myorelaxant effect; reduction of tissular adhesions;
relaxing effect; it prevents muscular atrophy.
