by Dr. Maryanne Kraft, DC, CVCP, CBP
Some may still be surprised when they hear about animal chiropractic, but it is one of the most effective, non-invasive treatments available for treating many different conditions and injuries for animals and their people.
Cold laser therapy for animals is another treatment not widely known and understood.
Animal chiropractic or veterinary orthopedic manipulation is the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral subluxations and dysfunctional joints of the spine and extremities.
The spine houses the central nervous system, which controls everything in the body. The subluxation or misalignments of the vertebral bodies can cause nerve interference resulting in miscommunication from the central nervous system to whatever that nerve innervates, i.e. organs or specific muscles.
Chiropractic adjustment helps to remove the nerve interference and restore the proper communication.
Cold laser therapy or low level light therapy uses frequencies to balance the energy of the cells. It has many benefits and helps to significantly increase the healing processes.
It can be used to treat sprains/strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons, it decreases inflammation and pain, and it resets neurological strength.
The specific animal adjusting technique called veterinary orthopedic manipulation or V.O.M. was developed by veterinarian Dr. Bill Inman. This technique is a very gentle form of adjusting using an activator tool.
This technique allows the practitioner to identify any and all neurologically compromised segments of the spine with an objective muscle reflex, correcting all misalignments that may or may not be showing symptoms yet. The gentleness of this tool ensures no pain and an effective adjustment.
Many different signs can indicate when a pet may need to see an animal chiropractor.
In dogs and cats, things like not wanting to jump or play, being less active, sudden onset of a tilted head and walking in a circle, paralysis, limping, even incontinence can indicate something is out of alignment.
In horses, an uneven gait, poor performance or bucking under tack can indicate a need for a visit.
The benefits of using animal chiropractic and cold laser therapy for your animals cannot be measured. A simple adjustment can save your animal’s life!
Our animals count on us to love them enough to give them the best care. I hope this article has given you the knowledge and confidence to find a local animal chiropractor for the future care of your animals.
