What is Animal Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is an integral part of the holistic trend in animal health care. A holistic philosophy stresses the integration of all the external and internal influences on the organism in the study of health and disease. Holistic therapies are designed to intervene at the appropriate level and to work with, not against, the inborn homeostasis of the organism. This differs from pure allopathic philosophy that treats symptoms, often separating and isolating those symptoms from the entire health paradigm of the patient.

Chiropractic offers tremendous potential in animal health care. It belongs in the health care spectrum along with medicine, surgery, acupuncture, homeopathy and other such modalities. Chiropractic care does not pretend to encompass the entire study of health and disease, but it does offer alternative explanations for disease and provides complementary therapy.

The foundations of chiropractic philosophy are based on the intimate relationship of the spinal column to the nervous system, as well as the role of the spinal column in biomechanics and movement.

The Postgraduate Animal Chiropractic Courses offered by Options for Animals were the first of their kind in the world. All other programs that now exist were developed from those programs. Most of the knowledge used to cultivate the first program was extrapolated from the human chiropractic profession. Both functional theories and techniques were used to explain clinical results. The last fifteen years have demonstrated the tremendous benefit that animals receive from the integration of animal chiropractic into the veterinary clinical practice.

Chiropractic Is…

Chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.

In addition, Doctors of Chiropractic recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other healthcare practitioners when in the best interest of the patient.

The Association of Chiropractic Colleges continues to foster a unique, distinct chiropractic profession that serves as a health care discipline for all. The ACC advocates a profession that generates, develops, and uses the highest level of evidence possible in the provision of effective, prudent, and cost-conscious patient evaluation and care.

The purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health. The principle that guides this is the body’s innate recuperative power which is affected by and integrated through the nervous system. The practice of chiropractic includes the establishment of a [chiropractic] diagnosis, the facilitation of neurological and biomechanical integrity through appropriate chiropractic case management, and the promotion of health.

The foundation this is built on includes philosophy, science, art, knowledge, and clinical experience. The chiropractic paradigm directly influences education, research, health care policy and research, relationships with other health care providers, professional stature, public awareness and perceptions, and patient health through quality care.

Animal Chiropractors Treat…

Animal chiropractors treat Vertebral Subluxation Complexes (VSC). Chiropractic is concerned with the preservation and restoration of health and focuses particular attention on the vertebral subluxation complex (VSC).

A VSC is a multifaceted condition of functional and/or structural pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health. It is evaluated, diagnosed, and managed through the use of chiropractic procedures based on the best available rational and empirical evidence.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) defines a VSC “as an aberrant relationship between two adjacent articular structures that may have functional or pathology sequence, causing an alteration in the biomechanical and/or neurophysiological reflections of these articular structures, their proximal structures and/or body systems that may be directly or indirectly affected by them.”

The VSC is Treated By…

The VSC is treated by the Animal Chiropractor utilizing an Adjustment. An adjustment is defined as a very specific, short lever, high velocity, controlled thrust, by hand or instrument, that is directed at specific articulations to correct vertebral subluxation complexes and/or other subluxation complexes throughout the body.

Animal Chiropractic Does Not…

Animal chiropractic does not include the dispensing or recommendations for dispensing medications, performance of surgery, injections of medications or the replacement of necessary traditional veterinary care. Animal Chiropractic is integrated with concurrent veterinary primary care.

Protocol of Animal Chiropractic

The treatment procedures utilized in Animal Chiropractic include the adjustment of vertebrae, the adjustment of the extremities and the adjustment of cranial sutures. Animal chiropractic care also includes management advice as to what is needed to insure proper response to chiropractic care.

The practice of Animal Chiropractic includes taking a thorough case history, consisting of at least, subjective information from the owner, information previously determined from examinations radiographs or laboratory analysis, and information as to previous diagnoses and therapies.

Animal Chiropractic includes an examination of the animal patient prior to spinal, extremity or cranial adjustments. The examinations performed include, but are not limited to: posture analysis, gait analysis, vertebral, extremity and cranial static palpation, vertebral and extremity motion palpation, short leg analysis, orthopedic evaluation and neurological evaluation.

The information from the case history and examination are combined to determine a working diagnosis. The Animal Chiropractor must decide what course of action to proceed with, including adjusting vertebral subluxation complexes, adjusting subluxation complexes in the extremities, and/or referring the patient back to his primary care veterinarian for further examination or care.

This procedure of triage is called “gate-keeping.” Gate-keepers are simply doctors that provide a “portal of entry” for the patient at which time the patient is triaged and decisions are made as to which doctors might best treat the conditions of a patient at any particular time.

The animal patient MUST always have concurrent care by a primary care veterinarian.

The contents of this page were taken from the Options for Animals, Wellsville Kansas. http://www.animalchiro.com.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ANIMAL IS SUBLUXATED?

An animal with a (VSC) vertebral subluxation complex may present with many symptoms but the most common symptom is usually pain.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ANIMAL IS IN PAIN?

Animals in pain will often exhibit changes in their posture, refusal to work, and, or a noticeable change from their normal behavior.

In order to cope with the VSC the animal will most always attempt to compensate for the pain by changing their posture and normal biomechanical patterns thus allowing for less painful movement throughout their daily routine. Unfortunately this biomechanical change will most always result in an adverse compensatory effect throughout other areas of the spine and body.

If your animal appears to be experiencing any of the following symptoms please contact your Veterinarian for a chiropractic referral:

Abnormal standing posture
Reluctance to move
Reduced performance
Difficulty bending or flexing of the neck or back
“Puppy sitting” or sitting with hind legs off to one side
Abnormal behavior
Discomfort noticed with collar or harness wear
Sensitivity to touch
Inability to climb stairs or jump
Only lies on one side
Shortened stride in one or more legs
Overall decreased range of motion in gait
Lack of coordination
Differences in muscle size and/or tone
Pacing gait
Partial weakness or paralysis
Stumbling while walking
Urinary and/or fecal incontinence
Develops problems with digestion
Animals who suffer from hip dysplasia, IV disc disease and Wobblers Disease are excellent candidates for chiropractic care.

HORSE SPECIFIC

Horse may show discomfort when being saddled
Horse may show discomfort when ridden
Evasion issues such as throwing its head up, grabbing the bit, or hollowing the back
Pinning ears, bucking, or swishing tail
Refusing jumps or knocking rails
Difficulty with collection or lateral movements
Horse is not tracking up
Inability or difficulty engaging the hindquarters
Irregularity of gait, which cannot be assigned to a particular leg
Difficulty flexing at the poll
Inability to stretch or lengthen topline
The horse may seem “off”
Stiffness coming out of the stall
Horse pulls against one rein