Veterinary chiropractic is a medical manual therapy
Veterinary chiropractic examines, diagnoses and treats abnormal range of motion in joints, mainly in the spine. This is termed a ‘Veterinary Subluxation Complex’ or restriction. The joint is not out of place, but stiff and not able to function through its normal range of motion.
This ‘stiffness’ affects the surrounding nerves, connective tissue and blood vessels with the following consequences:
- The nerve endings do not fire as frequently. The brain has a memory for these firing patterns so remembers the neural pathways so the poor biomechanical function becomes chronic.
- Restricted movement in the joint leads to changes in the connective tissues tightening ligaments and muscle changes. Muscles can become atrophied (reduce in size) or tonal changes.
- Vascular (blood supply) abnormalities lead to a lack of circulation in the area.
A true chiropractic sub-luxation (stiffness in motion joint) will have all of these components. The result is then:
- Inflammatory response (pain, heat, swelling)
- Biomechanical abnormalities
- Poor performance
Articular joints may also move too much which is termed hypermobile. This is in compensatory response to a restricted motion joint elsewhere in the skeleton – the restriction needs to be adjusted to resolve the compensation as if left it will lead to chronic damage to the joint.
Existing conditions benefit from Chiropractic too, such as: Kissing Spines, Sacro-iliac joint pain, Osteoarthritis, Neck Pain and Lameness.
We offer a specialist equine chiropractic service with all examinations and treatments carried out by an equine veterinarian certified in veterinary chiropractic.
Please be aware of the many manipulators/therapists operating as equine back practitioners with unsuitable qualifications or no qualifications at all.
