The spine is a complex framework of bones (vertebra), ligaments, muscles, and nerves. If the movement and bio-mechanics of the vertebra become dysfunctional, they can interfere with the performance of the nerves that are branching off of the spinal cord and going to all of the muscles and organs.
As this occurs, your animal can lose normal mobility; resulting in stiffness, tension, pain, and even organ dysfunction. Additionally, when normal movement is affected and left unattended, it will ultimately impact your animal’s entire well-being and quality of life.
The nervous system also coordinates the body’s ability to heal and regulate itself. Trauma, overuse, or underuse, may cause the vertebra of the spine to become fixed, and the surrounding muscles and ligaments may become compromised and inflamed. Nerves could become trapped in these damaged tissues, or in the passages they use to exit the spine.
Their signals become unable to adequately reach their destinations. When they don’t, these impaired structures lose their ability to heal. This can directly and dramatically impact your animal’s health. Symptoms of spinal fixation are vast and may include pain, spasm, sensitivity to touch, lameness, gait abnormalities, and postural compromise.
These are the symptoms that are the easiest to detect. It may take a trained doctor of Spinal alignment like Dr. Morissette to distinguish some of the more subtle changes that occur when organs begin to malfunction. The goal of an animal alignment is to restore function and mobility to the compromised vertebra in an effort to re-establish neurological transmissions. This allows the body to perform at its optimum potential.
During the last decade, the quantity and quality of the research supporting the value of alignment for animals have improved. This is an area that needs much more research but there are a few studies that provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of spinal alignment in the management of painful conditions that affect animals (e.g. horses with low back pain).
There are also studies supporting the use of spinal alignment to improve animal bio-mechanics. Owners involved in horse racing are particularly interested in optimizing animal performance.
Animal adjusting Is NOT:
1. The use of Hammers or Mallets to treat animals.
2. Using an Instrument to unscientifically click up and down the animal’s back without examining each individual joint of the animal’s spine and extremities for abnormal or restricted movement.
3. Dragging a horse by the back of a truck to “Adjust” it.
The doctor does not “Move” or Treat a 900 – 1200 pound horse. He or she treats individual motion units of the horse, one at a time, each weighing no more than 30 – 40 pounds.
Information from the case history and the examination are combined to determine what alignments your animal may require. The doctor looks for abnormal or restricted movement of the joints of the spine and extremities which have an effect on the nervous system and the entire body.
Adjusting your animal is somewhat similar to being adjusted by a human chiropractor in that once they find an area that has either decreased or restricted motion, we apply a high force, low amplitude thrust specific to the anatomy of the joint thereby restoring normal movement. The adjustment has little or no pain and most animals enjoy being adjusted.
The normal response to care can be immediate improvement within the first 24 to 72 hours. Results depend upon several variables such as the length of time for the initial trauma if any, the age of your animal, the severity of the decreased/restricted motion of the joints of the spine and or extremities, etc. Some animals can show great improvement in the first few days to a week and then you may notice a relapse of the initial complaint.
A follow-up adjustment may be required in 1 to 2 weeks to continue the healing process. We talk about this on the initial visit. If improvement is noted then the follow-up visits may be spread out further. Depending on how active your animal is with performance activities or just a family pet, maintenance care is usually recommended anywhere from 1 time a month to 1 time every six months. It is important to talk about what is best for your animal in maintaining their optimal health.
Animal chiropractic focuses on preserving and optimizing the neuro-musculo-skeletal system of animals through spinal adjustments to restore proper nerve function and mobility.
Animal chiropractic is not an alternative but an integrative method that complements traditional veterinary care, focusing specifically on spinal alignment and nervous system function.
Yes, adjustments involve precise, controlled force with little to no pain. Most animals actually enjoy the adjustment process.
This would be a good addition based on common practice requirements.
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