What is Veterinary Chiropractic?
Veterinary Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy concerned
with good health through restoration and maintenance of a properly
functioning neuromusculoskeletal system, without the use of drugs or
surgery.
Veterinary Chiropractic care is a manual therapy, which can be used
for many health and performance problems. It focuses on the
biomechanical dysfunction of the spine and its effect on the entire
nervous system throughout the body.
Veterinary Chiropractic treatment 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. Veterinary Chiropractic
can often eliminate the source of acute or chronic pain syndromes. “
Veterinary Chiropractic Treatment Can Be Used For:
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Chronic musculoskeletal problems
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Acute problems such as tension or stiffness
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Prophylactic treatment to maintain fitness
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Maintain soundness in older animals
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Enhance performance ability of sport animals
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As a complementary treatment for chronic lameness such as bone
spavin, navicular syndrome or tendon problems in the horse as well as
arthrosis, spondylosis or tendon problems like cruciate ligament in the
dog.
The Spine
An animals spine is a very complex structure consisting of bones,
ligaments, muscles and nerves. It fulfills various functions in the body
providing:
- A framework of support
- Attachment for many muscles
- Protection of the spinal cord
- Protection of internal organs
An animals spine consists of
bones called vertebrae. A horse´s spine is made up of 7 cervical
vertebrae, 18 thoracic vertebrae ( that connect with the ribs) , 6
lumbal vertebrae, 5 sacral vertebrae (wich are fused creating the
sacrum) and 16 to 18 coccygeal vertebrae. Where one vertebra connects
with another it is called a joint (there are approximately 200 joints in
a horse´s spine). Joints are held together by a vast number of
ligaments.
Numerous muscles are attached
to the vertebrae enabling the spine to move. Even though individual
vertebral joints have little mobility, the back and neck as a whole is
very flexible. Without this flexibility an animal cannot move fluently,
jump obstacles or perform properly.
The spinal cord runs through the vertebral canal in the centre of the
vertebrae. Nerves branch off from the spinal cord and leave the spinal
canal in pairs. These nerve branches (called spinal nerves) leave the
spinal canal through small spaces formed by adjacent vertebra (called
Intervertebral Foramen – IVF). Nerves transfer information between the
brain, spinal cord, organs, muscles and other parts of the body. As the
central nervous system monitors and controls all organ and tissue
function, the transmission of information to and from it must flow
freely to allow proper function.
What are the Symptoms
Animals with VSCs may present with many symptoms, the most common of
which is pain. Animals with back pain often express this in their
posture or in their refusal to work.
The animals attempts to
compensate for the pain by changing its posture and way of going can
result in other problems such as joint changes.
The following symptoms in a horse may indicate pain caused by a subluxation:
- Reduced performance
- Abnormal posture
- Snapping and pinning back its ears when being saddled
- Insubordination when being ridden
- The attempt to free itself by throwing its head back or up or by hollowing the back
- Swishing its tail and pinning back its ears
- Disobedience when jumping
- Difficulties with collected or lateral gaits
- Changes in behavior
- Frightened or painful facial expression
- Sensitivity to touch
Subluxations in the spine can affect muscle coordination and mobility of the horse, thereby causing decreased performance.
The following symptoms may occur:
- Unleveled gait rhythm
- Irregularity of gait which cannot be assigned to a particular leg or gait
- Stiffness when the horse leaves the stable
- Stiffness when bending and in its general posture
- Muscular atrophy
- Brushing or interfering
- Difficulty engaging the hindquarters
- Difficulty working “long and low”
- Shortened stride in one or more legs
- Overall decreased range of motion in gait
- Difficulty flexing the poll
- Lameness
- Horse pulls against one rein
- Rider is seated off centre due to the horse
- The back does not swing
- Reluctance to move
- Abnormal posture
- Disability to climb stairs or jump onto araised areas
- Limited performance
- Signs of pain when performing certain movements or being lifted
- The animal only lies on one side
- Disobedience when jumping
- Altered sitting position (so-called “puppy sitting”)
- Changes in behavior
- Frightened or painful facial expression
- Sensitivity to touch
Subluxations in the spine can affect muscle coordination and mobility of the dog, thereby causing decreased performance.
The following symptoms may occur:
- Unleveled gait rhythm
- Irregularity of gait which cannot be assigned to a particular leg or gait
- Stiffness after sleeping
- Stiffness when bending and in its general posture
- Muscular atrophy
- Lick granuloma
- Sciatica neuralgia
- Undefined lameness. This can be caused by VSCs in the joints of limbs or the spine.
- Shortened stride in one or more legs
- Overall decreased range of motion in gait
- Recurrent anal gland infections
- Recurrent ear infections
- Incontinence. This can be exacerbated by VSCs in the lumbar vertebrae.
- Hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity
- The back does not swing
A major effect of a VSC (subluxation) can be impairment to the flow
of information in the nerves which exit the spinal cord between the
vertebrae. As these nerves innervate the skin, certain glands and blood
vessels, such neurological disturbance can lead to the following
symptoms:
- Unusual itching at the base of the tail or other parts of the body
- Increased sensitivity to heat and cold
- Asymmetrical or reduced perspiration
How many treatments will my animal require?
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.
Dyrlege Marit Brevik 
Flashie Field Spaniel ble påkjørt 6 år gammel. Han fikk noen runder med kiropraktikk hos Marit med fantastiske resultater. Jeg grudde meg i forkant for jeg trodde hunden ville bli «mannevond» av behandlingen, men for en opptur! Marit gir mye kos og har et håndlag med dyr som er fantastisk. Så fra å ha låsninger fra hode til ytterste haletipp er han nå fin og bevegelig i kroppen. Han har hatt et utrolig år med Dansk, Svensk, Nordisk og CIB utstillings championat, prøvevinner på blodspor og opprykk til kl. 3 i lydighet, noe som jeg mener ikke kunne vært mulig uten kiropraktorbehandlingen. Og for en brukshund er det viktig å vite at kroppen er i orden under trening og konkurranser.
Tusen takk Aina, var kjekt at Flashie ble så bra etter skaden sin.
Mvh Marit Brevik