Pentland Canine Massage Therapist, Nia Ball
Nia is passionate about using her hands to bring relief to dogs in discomfort and pain using the skills of clinical canine massage therapy. Combining a thorough training with her background in zoology and animal behaviour science, she understands well the role that massage can play as part of a multi-modal approach to veterinary care for musculoskeletal issues and pain management. Nia will work closely with your dog’s vet and other specialists to support their treatment and rehabilitation.
Training & Professional Guild Membership
Nia trained in clinical canine massage therapy with the Canine Massage Therapy Centre, learning to integrate different massage disciplines and mastering a unique set of protocols (the Lenton Method™) which is taught exclusively by the Centre. She has been a trained therapist since 2020.
As a member of the Canine Massage Guild, she commits to the Guild’s mission to offer affordable, effective, and ethical clinical canine massage therapy for dogs with musculoskeletal issues and to achieve results within 1 – 3 treatments. Nia also commits to undertaking regular ongoing training to increase her skills and learn advanced techniques.
As a result, she offers sessions suitable for a wide range of dogs and conditions, including specialist approaches such as:
Facilitated stretching, which can be a useful approach for dogs who don’t like massage
Manual lymphatic drainage for managing lymphoedema after surgery or illness
Deep tissue massage for dogs with very hard and restricted muscles, to enable them to relax.
Why Nia became a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist
Nia has two pet dogs with whom she enjoys an active lifestyle and currently trains and competes in hoopers. It was several years ago when she was competing in dog agility that she first encountered Natalie Lenton and canine massage, at a workshop organised by her agility club. She was struck by how well the dogs in the room settled into the session with their owners, and delighted by how positively her young and excitable dog responded to it. Hearing about the huge benefits that massage techniques can bring to rehabilitating dogs with soft tissue injuries and conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia was also very inspiring. She was hooked!
Since Nia first started agility training with her dogs, she has been inspired and moved by the knowledgeable and passionate trainers and owners she has met, by how welcoming and encouraging they were to her as a beginner, and by their canine companions of all sizes and shapes. It therefore felt like a natural step to train to become a massage therapist. It was an ideal opportunity to combine her previous scientific training with her love of spending time with dogs, to develop a ‘hands-on’ career working with them to improve their health and well-being. She feels it is a privilege to be able to contribute something back to the community, through offering a therapy which makes a real difference to the lives of dogs and their people.
Experience
During her training Nia witnessed first-hand the huge benefits clinical massage can bring to recovery and quality of life for dogs of all ages – from young dogs with injuries or developmental problems such as elbow dysplasia, to older dogs with debilitating arthritis or neurological conditions.
During this time, it became apparent her own young dog had joint development problems leading to early onset arthritis. Nia’s massage skills, in conjunction with other veterinary treatments and complementary therapies, have made a huge contribution to maintaining her dog’s active lifestyle. She now sees similar results in her clients.
Scientific Background
Nia has a background in zoology (including anatomy) and previously specialised in animal behaviour and welfare science and completed a research doctorate. She has worked as a scientific adviser in government for many years. She is well-equipped for understanding the role that massage can play as part of a multi-modal approach to veterinary care for musculoskeletal issues and pain management.
Nia will work closely with your dog’s veterinary surgeon (and other specialists where appropriate, such as physiotherapists and behaviourists) to support their treatment and rehabilitation.
She is competent at communication with professionals from different disciplines, and explaining technical / veterinary language in an easily-understandable way to pet owners.