- Common Misconceptions About Animal Chiropractic
- What is Animal Chiropractic?
- How long does an adjustment take?
- Can an adjustment make my animal worse?
- Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?
- How long does my animal need to be off?
- What kind of training does a certified animal chiropractor have?
- How do you adjust an animal?
1. Common Misconceptions About Animal Chiropractic
Animal Chiropractic Is NOT:
- The use of Hammers or Mallets to treat animals.
- Using an Instrument to unscientifically click up and down the animal’s back without examining each individual joint of the animals spine and extremities for abnormal or restricted movement.
- Dragging a horse by the back of a truck to “Adjust” it.
- An Animal Chiropractor 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. Non-chiropractic animal manipulators are the ones that try to treat large areas of the horse at one time.
Common Sayings and Misconceptions About Animal Chiropractic Are:
- Animal Chiropractors Treat Bones That are “Out of Place”. The truth; Chiropractors are distinctive in that they treat joints that are not moving correctly, but the examination and treatment of these joints always remains within the normal range of motion. Some manipulative techniques do work with bones out of place, or luxated, but the trained animal chiropractor refers these patients to their veterinarian for proper care.
- Animal Chiropractors “Crack Backs”. The truth; The noise you might hear during a chiropractic treatment, especially in humans, is called cavitation. Joints are surrounded by a very strong tissue and the joint space is filled with fluid for lubrication. If separated slightly, as in a chiropractic treatment, some of the fluid may change to gas creating a “pop”. This does not always happen, and is NO indication as to the effectiveness of a treatment. Cavitation is rare when treating animals as their physiology is different than humans.
2. What is Animal Chiropractic?
Simply put animal chiropractors look 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. The goal of the animal chiropractor is to restore proper movement of the affected joints so the nervous system and body can function at its maximum healthy potential.
3. How long does an adjustment take?
The first visit takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Then any follow up visits take approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Can an adjustment make my animal worse?
Sometimes after the adjustment the animal can be sore. If performed correctly and with proper training chiropractic is safe and effective in treating your animal.
5. Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?
Sometimes during an adjustment the animal can experience discomfort for a brief moment.
6. How long does my animal need to be off?
Generally the animal should have the remainder of the day to rest. Each animal is evaluated on an individual basis and the doctor will provide you with the best course of action that is right for your animals.
7. What kind of training does a certified animal chiropractor have?
- They are either a Doctor of Chiropractic or a Veterinarian
- They have successfully completed one of the 3 recognized animal chiropractic schools. Those schools are Options for Animals Healing Oasis and Parker Chiropractic College
- They are certified either by the AVCA (American Veterinary Chiropractic Association) or the IVCA (International Veterinary Chiropractic Association). There is NO Board certification in animal Chiropractic.
8. How do you adjust an animal?
Basically chiropractic care is a manual method of treatment. The word “Chiropractic” comes from the Greek meaning “To perform with the hands”. Adjusting an animal is somewhat similar to being adjusted by a human chiropractor in that once the animal chiropractor finds an area that has either decreased or restricted motion the doctor applies a high force low amplitude thrust specific to the anatomy of the joint thereby restoring normal movement.