Info Feature: Chiropractic Care for Pets

I see my chiropractor once in a while for maintenance work. People who have a physical job are at risk for things getting out of alignment in their spine, and joints, and scar tissue, inflammation, and by-product build-up in the muscles. Getting an adjustment from my good pal Dr. Garry Bracken at the Sports Therapy Center relieves my aches and pains, and helps keep me at a higher level of functionality. (He also saved my drumming career from ruin by tendonitis a few years ago.) The day this article was conceived, I had gone for a visit to his office, and it made me think about what I’ve heard regarding the use of chiropractic care on animals.

Spinal manipulation has been practiced on humans for centuries in many cultures. The Chinese were practicing spinal manipulation as early as 2700 BCE. Hippocrates himself used spinal manipulation, and his maxim "Look well to the spine for the cause of disease" is often quoted by chiropractors. The earliest English text on "bonesetting," an early form of chiropractic, was published in 1656 (Wardwell, 1992).

Although chiropractic is one of the most frequently used forms of alternative therapy for humans in the United States, the application to animals has been haphazard and sporadic. The use of chiropractic on animals was attempted as a curiosity by early chiropractors. The developer of chiropractic, B.J. Palmer, claimed to have run a veterinary clinic as part of his chiropractic school and research facility. He made the following observation: "In the early days of chiropractic we maintained a veterinarian [sic] hospital where we adjusted the vertebral subluxations of sick cows, horses, cats, and dogs, etc. We did this to prove to ourselves that the chiropractic principle and practice did apply." (Palmer, 1944). More veterinarians are starting to take advantage of this type of treatment, either themselves, or with someone who performs it in their practices.

Subluxations, or misalignments of bones and vertebrae, can cause a variety of symptoms, from very mild to very severe. The most common is pain. Your pets can’t tell you that they’re having pain with words, but their body language can speak volumes. For example, dogs 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:

- Puppy sitting out of thin air for no reason, or sitting with the rear legs out to one side
- Discomfort when putting on or taking off collars and harnesses
- Abnormal posture when standing
- Evasive maneuvers, such as dipping the head or hollowing back
- Wringing or tucking tail
- Unwillingness or outright refusal to go over jumps
- Change in behavior pattern; fear biting
- Sensitivity to touch
- Facial expression of apprehension or pain
- Changes in coordination

Here’s an amazing statistic: According to veterinary research, evidence compiled since 1985 shows dogs and cats treated consistently with chiropractic live 28.5% longer on average and with less disease. Can you imagine? Not only might your pet live longer but the quality of life they’ll have is likely to be better. I like those numbers.

« Back                                                          Next »