Animal Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic is a drugless, holistic method of health care that can be applied to any vertebrate animal, that is, any animals with a spinal column. Chiropractic is based on the nervous system and how it relates to the proper functioning of the entire body. The brain, as the control center of the body, sends and receives messages throughout the body via the spinal cord, spinal nerves and the rest of the nervous system. Chiropractors believe that when the nervous system is healthy and the messages are transmitted adequately, the body has the ability to maintain homeostasis (physiological equilibrium) and heal itself through an inborn energy that is dependant on the proper function of the nervous system. Abnormal motion of the vertebrae and joints of the spine can alter the function of the nervous system through indirect pressure on the spinal nerves which exit the spinal cord between the vertebrae. Disturbances in spinal joint motion causing the irritation of spinal nerves can change how the nervous system communicates back and forth with the tissue and organs of the body. This causes changes in the normal function of these tissues and organs resulting in dysfunction and disease. This means any of the tissues and organs in the body can be affected including the solid organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs and hollow organs such as the stomach, bladder and intestines in addition to the musculoskeletal system. Disorder of the musculoskeletal system is often the only reason a chiropractor is called due to a general lack of understanding of the variety of benefits of chiropractic. There are many diseases which may be helped by chiropractic care including epilepsy, lick granulomas, incontinence, lameness, stiffness, and neck and back pain. Not every disease will be successfully treated by chiropractic, but your veterinarian can determine if chiropractic will help your pet.

Subluxation
Chiropractors use the term ‘subluxation’ to describe a specific problem of the spinal column whereby two consecutive vertebrae have an alteration of their normal dynamics, anatomical or physiological relationship. A more modern concept, segmental dysfunction, may actually be the primary lesion treated by the chiropractor. Segmental dysfunction is a much more subtle, localized spinal lesion recognized by altered mobility, sensitivity to pain and disturbed muscular activity of the area. Segmental dysfunction is thought to progress to subluxation and spinal degeneration so they would seem to be merely different stages of the same disease process. The altered mobility of the vertebrae reduces the flexibility of the spine resulting in stiffness and resistance to motion. This affects your pet’s ability to move, which causes them to compensate in movement or posture. So with this pain, stiffness and muscle tightness, stress is placed elsewhere in the body. This causes more problems like degenerative joint disease and phantom pain. In addition, due to the disruption of the nerve supply at the segmental dysfunction, all the tissues and organs service by that nerve or branch thereof can also become diseased since they will not be serviced properly. Subluxations may be caused by stress and other psychological factors, toxins (found for example in unhealthy food or food with poor nutritional value), metabolic waste products, drugs and other substances and mechanical factors such as trauma, intervertebral disc disease, infections and congenital disease.

Chiropractic Adjustment
The body has the inborn (innate) ability to maintain health and resist disease. According to chiropractic principals, disease results when the nervous system is not able to communicate properly with the tissue and organs of the body. Subluxation of the vertebrae causes altered nerve transmission, which causes changes in the tissues and organs. This leads to disease. Chiropractic repairs subluxation by restoring normal motion to the spinal joints, which allows the nervous system to function normally. This leads to homeostasis and health. Subluxations are repaired by a chiropractic adjustment. This consists of a high velocity, low amplitude, short lever, controlled thrust by hand or instrument directed at a specific joint. The adjustment can overcome the restriction to normal joint motion, thus resolving the source of irritation to the spinal nerves. It essentially repositions the bones into proper anatomical or functional relationship with one another, so normal joint mobility can once again occur. This helps to restore normal nerve transmission and function.

Chiropractic Results
The adjustment restores normal motion to the spinal joints and improves the function of the nervous system. This allows the body’s innate energy to restore the body to health. The signs of clinical improvement are varied depending on the particular problems being treated. They may include a return to full function, whereby your pet is able once again to perform certain activities. Other signs include pain relief, improved healing of injuries without patterns of compensation and a reduction of the likelihood, severity and frequency of recurrences of the condition or injury. Also, chiropractic can stop or slow down the degeneration of joints if joint motion can be restored or improved early enough by adjustments.

Chiropractic care can take time since the body must be allowed to heal itself after proper nerve function and joint motion have been restored. Fortunately, animals recover very rapidly. It usually takes only a few adjustments to determine the benefit your pet will obtain from chiropractic. It is therefore necessary to commit to at least three treatments to observe the therapeutic efficacy. Some factors that affect the speed and extent of recovery are age of patient, severity of problem, length of time present and compliance of patient and owner with respect to rehabilitation and follow-up care. Even when chiropractic is indicated, it must be weighed in context with alternatives, both conventional and holistic. Various treatment options, whenever appropriated will be discussed and offered if possible. In addition, the owner’s objectives, preferences and personal values will be carefully considered.

Chiropractic Maintenance
Chiropractic is known to have good therapeutic effect in a wide variety of animal disease, but chiropractic care is more importantly directed towards preventing disease in the body. It is important to make sure that each animal’s spine is kept in optimum condition to promote good health even when no problems have previously been observed. Most animals should have yearly examination and adjustments. Older animals may need to be seen more frequently. We encourage clients to try this promising art of healing on their pets.

Special thanks to Michael Gleason, D.C. for his help in preparing this brochure.