“Words are not needed to understand pain”

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It doesn’t matter if you have four or two legs: whoever walks into Mike Baumgartner’s (55) practice is greeted first by Duke with a wagging tail. The therapist’s Labrador then curls up under the table and watches.

Because now it’s time for Pumba (6): The French bulldog has back problems typical of the breed, explains Baumgartner: “Over-bred fashion dogs often have spine blockages.” In fact, the hind legs will be the dog’s engine. To avoid pain, Pumba walks almost exclusively on its front legs. “It also weakens the back,” explains Baumgartner, while carefully feeling Pumba and never gently snapping the lower four vertebrae into place.

Pumba, who previously filled the practice with delight, stands still—even seems to enjoy the hands on her back. Baumgartner works with SMT therapy, a gentle method that avoids jerky twists or stretches. Blockages are opened with targeted pressure and the spine is repositioned.

method for humans and animals

In fact, the method is for humans. So why do dogs also fall on the sofa at Baumgartner? It started seven years ago. At that time, his previous dog was hit by a car. “She had a slight limp, but even at the vet we couldn’t tell what was going on.” At the time Baumgartner was in SMT training: “Why shouldn’t that also apply to a dog?” He bought a book on canine anatomy and tried it out. It worked, and now a third of Baumgartner’s patients are four-legged friends, and often their owners also come for treatment.

Just like the owner of Pumba. Jenny Ilg (32) actually came in because of her own back pain: “That’s how I know how it feels and I’m confident it’s good for Pumba too.” The Bulldog is now flat on the ground, reclining on all fours. “Tired, then normal.” Because now everything is flowing again, says Baumgartner. He likens it to a stone lying in a river. “Water should be everywhere. If you remove the stone, it will still be easy.”

Cats heal themselves

In addition to dogs, Baumgartner also treats horses and, much less frequently, cats: “They have a much more flexible spine and can heal themselves with their purr. Gentle vibration relaxes your muscles.»

As before, patients with two legs mostly come to Baumgartner. Ida Saurer (84) learned about the therapist through a friend’s poodle. “I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sit up anymore,” she says. She felt better after just one treatment. “It was like a miracle to me.” A word that Baumgartner used with caution. “I just pave the way, the body heals itself.” And it doesn’t matter whether he’s treating a person or an animal: “Words are not needed to understand pain.”

Source : Blick