Ken Bain
Complete Interview from Pain Puzzles Newsletter
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Ken Bain: Pioneer in Animal Bodywork
Business Name: Stress Reduction Body Works
Business Phone #: 281-433-8965
Business Email: Ken@TexasAnimalMassage.com
Give us some info on your non-bodywork related background.
Bodywork is a second profession for me. I’ve been an engineer at NASA for 23 years working with both the Shuttle and International Space Station operations. I’ve also spent about 15 years training and participating in canine sports. This laid the foundation for my interest in working with animals.
How did you get interested in massage/bodywork ?
As a competitor of various dog sports (Flyball, Frisbee, and Agility) I recognized that the dogs’ performance significantly improved when their bodies are moving with maximum efficiency and flexibility. I had the opportunity to closely observe a very talented animal chiropractor work on many dogs as well as my own. It was clear that the chiropractic work was helpful, but not the end-all-be-all of bodywork. With no training I started working on my own dogs and saw how well they responded to simple massage. I was hooked and spent the next several years learning anatomy, bodywork techniques, and even developing my own.
What Massage or Bodywork School(s) did you attend ?
I am trained in several modalities. I attended the Texas School of Massage for training for human massage and preparation for licensing in Texas. I successfully completed the Canine Massage program at the Pet Massage Institute in Toledo, Ohio and the Equine Massage program in Wellington, Florida. Other training includes Healing Touch for Animals (Level III) and Reiki (Master Level).
In addition to formal training, I’ve had the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with veterinarians, animal chiropractors, animal physical therapists, and other very experienced animal massage therapists.
What kind of Bodywork do you specialize in ?
My specialty is canine massage and stretches. However, human trigger point therapy is quickly growing in popularity in my practice, especially with the folks running with their dogs in canine agility trials. Approximately 40% of my practice is human and of those trigger point therapy is the therapy of choice. I no longer do standard Swedish massage on humans, since the trigger point therapy is so much more effective and efficient therapeutically than Swedish massage.
Describe a typical day in your practice.
Since I have an 8 to 5 weekday job, my typical practice is broken into two phases. I see clients at least two nights a week ranging from 3 to 5 clients per night. However, the real fun is at the canine agility trials. The typical show starts at 8 am on Saturday morning, and I run non-stop up to 11 hours with only a short lunch break. Sunday is almost as busy. A slow weekend will have at least 20 clients, and I’ve seen as many as 30 in a two day weekend. That is a tough pace considering some cases can take up to an hour, with most running at 30 minutes. Since most of these shows are out of town, a lot of competitors and myself get together for dinner on Saturday night for an evening of fun and relaxation after a long day.
How do you incorporate Dr.Perry's Clinical Trigger Point Therapy into your practice ?
Thanks to Dr. Perry’s Clinical Trigger Point Therapy Program, all of my human practice is now exclusively trigger point therapy. The exciting news is that I am incorporating trigger point therapy into my canine and equine massage practice. Using the techniques on animals is very similar to that of humans with a couple of exceptions. Since the animals cannot explain pain patterns they are experiencing, the therapist must develop a keen touch to feel the muscle reaction to putting pressure on a trigger point. The other exception is that the therapist has to pay very close attention to the animal’s body language which will indicate discomfort if you apply too much pressure. Working on clients that cannot provide verbal feedback, really hones your skills of working on human clients.
Regarding your practice, can you share a "success" story with us ?
Success story – well my client list includes top American Kennel Club and United States Dog Agility Association canine and human agility competitors, including 2 National Champions, 3 World Champions, and several World Finalists. I also have 3 World Finalist clients competing in Canine Frisbee events. I don’t claim their performance as a direct result of the bodywork that I have provided. Their success is due to years of training. However, at the top competition levels the winners are decided by hundredths of a second. Helping the dogs achieve full range of motion and increased flexibility is the key of gaining that slight edge over those without regular bodywork.
I consider the work I do with therapy horses to be success stories as well. I volunteer my services to several horses that are dedicated to working with riders with a wide variety of disabilities including, but not limited to Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Mental Retardation, Developmental Delay, Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. These horses work hard to keep their riders balanced safely on their backs. This challenge leaves them with sore muscles since they have to work much harder than their cousins with experienced riders. These horses taught me much about working on their species. Their patience and their expressive body language helped me understand how to work on them with mutual respect.
What is the most frustrating aspect of your daily practice ?
There is not enough time to support my clientele to the level that I would prefer, which results in a bough wave of clients at agility trials.
Can you give any advice or recommendations to someone who aspires to do what you do?:
Anyone interested in doing animal massage needs to become very knowledgeable about the Texas Veterinary Laws. Currently, the laws are very vague about animal massage, but allow it as long as the therapist doesn’t cross the line of practicing veterinary medicine by diagnosing or treating ailments. The other important thing is to be willing to learn as much about the animal anatomy as is taught in the current human massage program.
I feel it is important to establish a good relationship with veterinarians. Four of my clients are vets, and all embrace the importance of this work. Additionally, I require veterinary referrals prior to working on animals to ensure that the animal’s vets are aware that their patients are getting massage work.
What is next for you? What are your professional aspirations ?
I expanded my horizons this year beyond the bodywork. I worked with a very experienced human/animal massage therapist and author on his latest book. He is currently publishing a book on evaluating the performance canine including gait analysis. I reviewed the manuscript for technical content and wrote the Forward for the book. Subsequently, I’ve been asked to work with him as a co-author on his next book. This will be a huge challenge, but a wonderful opportunity for personal growth.
What is the best way for someone to acquire your services ?
I accept appointments via email at Appt@TexasAnimalMassage.com.
Business Name: Stress Reduction Body Works
Business Phone #: 281-433-8965
Business Email: Ken@TexasAnimalMassage.com
Give us some info on your non-bodywork related background.
Bodywork is a second profession for me. I’ve been an engineer at NASA for 23 years working with both the Shuttle and International Space Station operations. I’ve also spent about 15 years training and participating in canine sports. This laid the foundation for my interest in working with animals.
How did you get interested in massage/bodywork ?
As a competitor of various dog sports (Flyball, Frisbee, and Agility) I recognized that the dogs’ performance significantly improved when their bodies are moving with maximum efficiency and flexibility. I had the opportunity to closely observe a very talented animal chiropractor work on many dogs as well as my own. It was clear that the chiropractic work was helpful, but not the end-all-be-all of bodywork. With no training I started working on my own dogs and saw how well they responded to simple massage. I was hooked and spent the next several years learning anatomy, bodywork techniques, and even developing my own.
What Massage or Bodywork School(s) did you attend ?
I am trained in several modalities. I attended the Texas School of Massage for training for human massage and preparation for licensing in Texas. I successfully completed the Canine Massage program at the Pet Massage Institute in Toledo, Ohio and the Equine Massage program in Wellington, Florida. Other training includes Healing Touch for Animals (Level III) and Reiki (Master Level).
In addition to formal training, I’ve had the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with veterinarians, animal chiropractors, animal physical therapists, and other very experienced animal massage therapists.
What kind of Bodywork do you specialize in ?
My specialty is canine massage and stretches. However, human trigger point therapy is quickly growing in popularity in my practice, especially with the folks running with their dogs in canine agility trials. Approximately 40% of my practice is human and of those trigger point therapy is the therapy of choice. I no longer do standard Swedish massage on humans, since the trigger point therapy is so much more effective and efficient therapeutically than Swedish massage.
Describe a typical day in your practice.
Since I have an 8 to 5 weekday job, my typical practice is broken into two phases. I see clients at least two nights a week ranging from 3 to 5 clients per night. However, the real fun is at the canine agility trials. The typical show starts at 8 am on Saturday morning, and I run non-stop up to 11 hours with only a short lunch break. Sunday is almost as busy. A slow weekend will have at least 20 clients, and I’ve seen as many as 30 in a two day weekend. That is a tough pace considering some cases can take up to an hour, with most running at 30 minutes. Since most of these shows are out of town, a lot of competitors and myself get together for dinner on Saturday night for an evening of fun and relaxation after a long day.
How do you incorporate Dr.Perry's Clinical Trigger Point Therapy into your practice ?
Thanks to Dr. Perry’s Clinical Trigger Point Therapy Program, all of my human practice is now exclusively trigger point therapy. The exciting news is that I am incorporating trigger point therapy into my canine and equine massage practice. Using the techniques on animals is very similar to that of humans with a couple of exceptions. Since the animals cannot explain pain patterns they are experiencing, the therapist must develop a keen touch to feel the muscle reaction to putting pressure on a trigger point. The other exception is that the therapist has to pay very close attention to the animal’s body language which will indicate discomfort if you apply too much pressure. Working on clients that cannot provide verbal feedback, really hones your skills of working on human clients.
Regarding your practice, can you share a "success" story with us ?
Success story – well my client list includes top American Kennel Club and United States Dog Agility Association canine and human agility competitors, including 2 National Champions, 3 World Champions, and several World Finalists. I also have 3 World Finalist clients competing in Canine Frisbee events. I don’t claim their performance as a direct result of the bodywork that I have provided. Their success is due to years of training. However, at the top competition levels the winners are decided by hundredths of a second. Helping the dogs achieve full range of motion and increased flexibility is the key of gaining that slight edge over those without regular bodywork.
I consider the work I do with therapy horses to be success stories as well. I volunteer my services to several horses that are dedicated to working with riders with a wide variety of disabilities including, but not limited to Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Mental Retardation, Developmental Delay, Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. These horses work hard to keep their riders balanced safely on their backs. This challenge leaves them with sore muscles since they have to work much harder than their cousins with experienced riders. These horses taught me much about working on their species. Their patience and their expressive body language helped me understand how to work on them with mutual respect.
What is the most frustrating aspect of your daily practice ?
There is not enough time to support my clientele to the level that I would prefer, which results in a bough wave of clients at agility trials.
Can you give any advice or recommendations to someone who aspires to do what you do?:
Anyone interested in doing animal massage needs to become very knowledgeable about the Texas Veterinary Laws. Currently, the laws are very vague about animal massage, but allow it as long as the therapist doesn’t cross the line of practicing veterinary medicine by diagnosing or treating ailments. The other important thing is to be willing to learn as much about the animal anatomy as is taught in the current human massage program.
I feel it is important to establish a good relationship with veterinarians. Four of my clients are vets, and all embrace the importance of this work. Additionally, I require veterinary referrals prior to working on animals to ensure that the animal’s vets are aware that their patients are getting massage work.
What is next for you? What are your professional aspirations ?
I expanded my horizons this year beyond the bodywork. I worked with a very experienced human/animal massage therapist and author on his latest book. He is currently publishing a book on evaluating the performance canine including gait analysis. I reviewed the manuscript for technical content and wrote the Forward for the book. Subsequently, I’ve been asked to work with him as a co-author on his next book. This will be a huge challenge, but a wonderful opportunity for personal growth.
What is the best way for someone to acquire your services ?
I accept appointments via email at Appt@TexasAnimalMassage.com.