ConTact C.A.R.E. (also known as Flinchlock Release Therapy) is a Martial Arts based therapy, created in Ngatea, New Zealand by Dale W. Speedy and Kym Summers.
According to ConTact C.A.R.E, the skeleton has it's own self-defence system which automatically engages to ensure our survival when a bone is impacted by surprise. Here, the terms used are “skeletal sensory shock” and “flinchlock”. When a flinchlock is created (due to a surprise impact that engages the skeletal self-defense system), an individual's balance centre - and thus, their shape, structure, or position - shifts to accommodate the effects of the inflicted impact. The impact is held in the bone, but it affects the entire body. A flinchlock is an area of bone that has contracted in order to contain the pressure created from an impact. A flinchlocked bone feels dense and rigid. It seeks support to match the pressure being felt. By nature, flinchlocks are not areas of sensitivity, but create areas of sensitivity, pain and tension as the body seeks to balance and compensate for the excess pressure. Clients tend not to feel a flinchlock, but when the necessary pressure is applied for the release, it feels good.
ConTact C.A.R.E Practitioners are trained to locate and release the hidden causes of what is being felt by the client, in a safe and comfortable way. In releasing the flinchlock, inflammation can finally be discharged, while the affected tissues can begin to relax and re-align.
HORSES
ConTact C.A.R.E. is transformative for horses (actually, any creature that has a skeleton!), and was, in fact, first discovered on a horse. Horses are experts at finding their comfort, indicating where the work is needed, and unravelling fully from their impact injuries. Horse/rider sessions are an incredible tool for re-connecting after an injury, as well as improving performance and teamwork. It has deeply enhanced my own relationship with my horse.
