Frequently Asked Questions about Animal Chiropractic

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal problems, particularly in the spine.  It is a manual therapy, which is used for many health and performance problems.  Chiropractic care focuses on the health and proper movement of all joints in the body, but especially the proper functioning of the spinal column.  The goal is to restore proper alignment, enhance mobility, and alleviate discomfort without the use of drugs or surgery.  Improper movement of the joints can create biomechanical dysfunction and can affect the entire nervous system throughout the body.  Chiropractic care does not replace traditional veterinary medicine.  However, it can provide additional means of diagnosis and treatment options for spinal problems as well as biomechanical related  musculoskeletal disorders.  Chiropractic can often eliminate the source of acute or chronic pain syndromes.

Chiropractic adjustments can reduce pain and inflammation, improve flexibility, restore normal function, and overall increase quality of life.  Adjustments are very specific, high speed, low force, short thrusts to the misaligned joint segment.  It is done by placing the hands directly on the affected joint. Only misaligned (subluxated) joints are adjusted.  These adjustments should be performed by a licensed professional doctor (DC or DVM) who is certified in animal chiropractic that have undergone specialized training to work with animals during a post-doctoral course. 

When used by Chiropractors, the term subluxation is used to describe a very specific condition, or disease, of the spinal column in which one or more of the joints are not moving properly. Subluxations can cause a variety of symptoms from very mild to very severe.  The most common is pain.  Horses in pain will compensate in gait or posture and often refuse to perform certain tasks. The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate pain from the presence of a subluxation:

• Discomfort when saddling
• Discomfort when riding
• Abnormal posture when standing
• Evasion type maneuvers such as dipping head or hollowing back
• Wringing tail, pinning ears or bucking
• Refusing or unwillingness to go over jumps
• Refusal or resistance in performance such as lateral or collected movements
• Development of unusual behavioral patterns
• Sensitivity to touch
• Facial expression of apprehension or pain

Subluxations can also cause change in muscle coordination  and flexibility.  These conditions may cause:

• Lack of coordination in gaits
• Improper frame
• "Lameness" that seems to move from limb to limb
• Stiffness coming out of stall
• Stiffness to side movement of the body or neck
• Muscle atrophy or shrinking
• Shortened stride in one or two limbs
• Decreased extension in front or rear
• Rope walking or plaiting
• Inability to lengthen top line
• Difficulty flexing at the poll
• Rider can not sit centered on horse
• Pulling on one rein

The most common symptom associated with joint subluxation is pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways.  Dogs in pain will show  compensatory changes in posture and gait.  These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles. The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate pain from the presence of subluxation:

• Reluctance to move
• Abnormal posture
• Disability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas
• Limited performance
• Signs of pain when performing certain movements
• Animal lies on only one side
• Disobedience when jumping
• Altered sitting position (so-called “puppy sitting”)
• Changes in behavior
• Frightened or painful facial expression
• Sensitivity to touch
• Uneven gait rhythm
• Irregular gait
• Stiffness after sleeping
• Stiffness when bending
• Muscular atrophy
• Lick granuloma
• Sciatica neuralgia
• Undefined lameness
• Shortened stride
• Decreased range of motion
• The back does not swing

The most common symptom associated with joint subluxation is pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways.  Cats in pain will show  compensatory changes in posture and gait.  These changes can cause stress in other joints and muscles.  The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate pain from the presence of a subluxation:

• Reluctance to move
• Abnormal posture
• Disability to climb stairs or jump onto raised areas
• Limited performance
• Signs of pain when performing certain movement
• Animal lies on only one side
• Disobedience when jumping
• Changes in behavior
• Frightened or painful facial expression
• Sensitivity to touch
• Uneven gait rhythm
• Irregular gait
• Stiffness after sleeping
• Stiffness when bending
• Muscular atrophy
• Lick granuloma
• Sciatica neuralgia
• Decreased range of motion
• The back does not swing

This question must be answered on an individual basis for each  patient.  In most cases, a single treatment is not enough to eliminate the problem.  Most animals show significant improvement after 1 to 4  treatments.  Chronic problems usually take longer to resolve requiring  more chiropractic treatment, whereas animals with acute problems often respond more quickly.  The goal of chiropractic treatment is to  address neurological dysfunction in the spine and restore mobility.  It  is then the task of muscles and ligaments to support the spine and  maintain this new realigned position.

This process and the role of  the chiropractor is similar to that of an orthodontist. The orthodontist applies a brace to the teeth and over a period of time  makes regular adjustments and corrections to realign the teeth, so that  in time they will maintain their correct position.  A chiropractor will  also adjust and correct the animal a number of times, until the body accepts the new position of the spine as normal and the muscles and  ligaments support and maintain this position.