Dr. Shannon Harland attended Options for Animals Chiropractic School in Wellsville, KS to obtain her chiropractic certification. She became a member of the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) in March 2011. She routinely adjusts both large and small animals in the field and at the clinic.
What is Animal Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a complementary or holistic system of health care that uses the inherent power of the body to heal itself without the use of surgery or drugs. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring, optimizing, and maintaining health. It is part of “integrated medicine” which is the practice of combining conventional medicine with complementary and alternative approaches in an effort to create a comprehensive treatment plan.
The spine is made of connecting vertebra which essentially are joints that are maintained in a specific alignment. Each joint can only move a few millimeters on its own, but this movement adds up throughout the length of the spine to allow for the full range of flexing, extending and rotating motion. Nerves branch out of the spinal cord and then travel out to the rest of the body. When one vertebrae is not moving correctly the ones in front or behind become hypermobile to try to maintain normal range of motion. Over time the hypermobility will lead to degenerative changes and then loss of mobility in other vertebrae.
During a chiropractic exam, each vertebra is moved within its normal range of motion and evaluated for appropriate range of motion, flexibility, tension and pain. A subtle decrease in movement is called a Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC). A subluxation will cause irritation in the nerve associated with that vertebrae causing the nerve to become inflamed. Nerves are very sensitive, even a slight amount of pressure can affect their function. A scientist at CSU has shown that weight of a feather can decrease nerve transmission by 50%. This causes pain and muscle spasm in the immediate area but can have other effects on organs and body functions because the nerves infiltrate the rest of the body. Some subluxations may not cause notable pain initially but still have an effect on the body. Others will initially cause pain but over time the body stops responding to the pain signals even though altered function is still present.
What can cause subluxations? Obviously major trauma, but also a series of micro-traumas that don’t seem to matter when they occur (trailer ride with a lot of starts and stops, jerking on a leash). Conformation, poor hoof or nail care, confinement, age, being overweight, arthritis, type of activity (ie hunting, agility, jumping, showing) can also cause subluxations.
To help restore the normal movement of the vertebrae an adjustment is used. An adjustment is a specific, low force, high velocity thrust at a particular joint that corrects the subluxation. Adjustments are not aggressive, the amount of force is dictated by the size of the patient. If you’ve ever wondered how an animal as large as a horse can be manipulated and have their spine treated, consider that the horse is evaluated and adjusted just one joint at a time.
In many cases presented to a veterinarian, there is a primary problem or pain that the animal has been coping with which results in discomfort in the back or neck. The body compensates for the pain, causing changes in gait, altered weight bearing, and tight muscles. There are signs an owner can look for that would suggest their animal would need a chiropractic exam.
For horses, signs may include: - lameness - difficulties in collection - stiffness - bad attitude - lack of power - changes in gait - resistance to bit - reduced flexibility in one direction - bucking under saddle - cinchiness - sore back
For small animals signs may include: - difficulty getting up - reluctance to jump - weakness - stiffness - abnormal sitting positions or gait
For animals used for any type of performance including agility, herding, or hunting, chiropractic may improve their work. Even if your animal does not demonstrate any of the observable symptoms, a thorough chiropractic exam and adjustment may improve the comfort and performance.
What happens in a chiropractic appointment?
The chiropractic evaluation begins with talking to the client about what they are noticing with their animal and the history. A thorough evaluation of the animal’s spine from head to tail is performed looking for tight muscles, asymmetry, and abnormal movement. During the chiropractic exam, adjustments will be made as needed. While chiropractic adjustments are not painful, the animal may be sore for a short period of time after the exam, especially if he/she has never been adjusted before. This is due to the fact that the animal’s body has been used to moving a certain way due to the subluxations. Once the subluxations are corrected, the muscles need to acclimate to the new way of moving. This may require a few days off or a few days of light exercise. It is not recommended that an animal be adjusted right before an athletic event unless the animal has been adjusted before. Stretches or exercises that may benefit your particular animal based on the findings may also be given.
How many treatments will an animal need?
The answer depends on the severity of the animal's problems and his or her level of performance. Long-standing problems usually require more treatments than acute problems. Young animals tend to recover flexibility faster than older ones. Animals that are used for performance, and repeat the same type of movement routinely, are more likely to benefit from routine chiropractic care. A specific treatment schedule cannot be outlined without evaluating the individual animal, but a 2 week recheck is standard. For a difficult or long standing problem anywhere from 3-7 treatments may be needed. Many animals benefit from periodic routine evaluations and treatment to maintain health. If an animal is not benefiting as much as expected from the chiropractic exams, an underlying undiagnosed lameness issue may be a problem. That will need to be addressed in a veterinary exam for the animal to continue to receive maximum results. In the case of horses sometimes an ill-fitting saddle may be causing pain so a saddle fit evaluation can also be scheduled if there is any concern.