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FAQs What is chiropractic?
Is chiropractic treatment safe?
What approach do chiropractors use?
What is animal chiropractic?
How does a person become an animal chiropractor?
What conditions respond to animal chiropractic?
Will this conflict with my vet’s advice?
What is a vertebral subluxation complex (VSC)?
What happens when there’s a subluxation?
How do I know if my animal is subluxated?
What do I do if my pet has a subluxation?
How will a chiropractor assess what treatments will be suitable for my animal?
How is a chiropractic adjustment performed?
How do chiropractic adjustments correct subluxations?
How long does a treatment take?
Why is there a popping sound when a joint is adjusted?
What effects can be expected after a treatment?
My pet may be too aggressive to visit your practice – a vet visit is always traumatic. What can I do?
How does a person adjust an animal as large as a horse?
How many adjustments will my animal need?
Do you treat other animals?
Can an animal benefit from an adjustment even if they don’t have pain?
Is chiropractic treatment ongoing?
What is chiropractic? Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. top Is chiropractic treatment safe? Chiropractic is widely recognised as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal complaints. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. top What approach do chiropractors use? Doctors of Chiropractic, often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes a patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. top What is animal chiropractic? Chiropractic is based upon the understanding that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine, and the nerves extending from the spine to all parts of the body). Chiropractic restores the normal position of the joint, which removes any nerve interference and bring back motion and health to the body. Chiropractic looks to address discomfort and disease not by the use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal area of the body which is functioning improperly. The animal will do the healing, all by itself from the inside. top How does a person become an animal chiropractor? Chiropractors are educated as primary contact health care practitioners, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. The typical applicant to a chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, we study for a further four to five years and because of the hands-on nature of our work, and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical training. In addition to receiving my doctorate in chiropractic, I have studied further with the Federation International of chiropractic sports (FICS) and am one of the few sports chiropractic specialists in the country. To be fully certified as an animal chiropractor you must be a veterinarian or a chiropractor first. Once you have some experience in one of these generalist fields, you are then able to attend a school for animal chiropractic, largely based in North America and Europe. Upon successful completion of one of these schools you must then pass a certifying exam by the American Veterinarian Chiropractic Association (AVCA) or the International Veterinarian Chiropractic Association (IVCA). top What conditions respond to animal chiropractic? If you can imagine that the spine acts as the framework for the body – the spinal column supports almost all muscles and the spinal cord carries nerves to every organ. Every system in the body – digestive, nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, excretory, immune, muscular, reproductive, respiratory and skeletal – is affected by the health of the spine. Therefore, the conditions that respond to this treatment are so far reaching – physically and emotionally. top Will this conflict with my vet’s advice? No, chiropractic care is in essence complimentary and integrative care. Treatment is administered in collaboration with your vet …not instead of traditional veterinary care. The goal is always to find the primary source of pain, rather than treating what might be a secondary source. If your vet is better able to achieve that, we will refer to him…and hopefully, visa versa. Note: It should be stressed that chiropractic, in no way, should be thought of as a replacement for conventional veterinary medicine, but rather as a valid, concurrent, complimentary treatment. top What is a vertebral subluxation complex (VSC)? This happens when two vertebrae in the spine are not moving as well as they should be in relation to each other— they are stuck top What happens when there’s a subluxation? Well, it’s not good news - the animal loses normal flexibility in that portion of his spine. So, he compensates for this lack of movement by overflexing a different part of his spine, causing him to use more energy and engage different muscles than he would if his spine were working properly, which can result in muscular tension and stiffness. If the vertebrae remain stuck in this fashion, over time this will ultimately negatively affect the animal’s performance and lead to more ‘stuck points’ – affecting: How do I know if my animal is subluxated? Animals with subluxations may have many symptoms, with the most common symptom being pain. Animals that are in pain often exhibit this with changes in their posture, by refusing to work, or by changes in their behaviour. The animal attempts to compensate for the pain by changing their posture and way of going, which can result in other problems such as joint changes. Contact Dr B for a free telephone discussion to determine whether your animal is subluxated top
What do I do if my pet has a subluxation?
In a nutshell, as soon as you notice your animal is in pain… get them to a chiropractor trained to treat animals. It’s important to know that subluxations are painless initially (just as a tooth cavity starts out). Advanced subluxations can result in osteoarthritis, or degenerated discs and joints. top How will a chiropractor assess what treatments will be suitable for my animal? Doctors of chiropractic may assess patients through clinical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging and other diagnostic interventions to determine when chiropractic treatment is appropriate or when it is not appropriate. Chiropractors will readily refer patients to the appropriate health care provider when chiropractic care is not suitable for the patient’s condition, or the condition warrants co-management in conjunction with other members of the health care team. top How is a chiropractic adjustment performed? In a chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor typically uses his/her hands to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to reduce pain, and restore or enhance joint function. Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. top How do chiropractic adjustments correct subluxations? An adjustment is a short controlled thrust onto the vertebra in a very specific direction that will restore movement to the fixated joint. Chiropractic is very specific, and adjustments are made directly on the vertebra with a spring-loaded device called an Integrator, or by hand. Although Dr Broadhurst pays particular attention to the spine, she may also adjust the legs, jaw, or skull. After the adjustment, there is a healing time while the animal processes the adjustment. top How long does a treatment take? Initial visits take about half an hour to an hour and include a history, gait and posture assessment and then a spinal exam and treatment. Subsequent treatments take 15-45 minutes and include a brief re-assessment and treatment top Why is there a popping sound when a joint is adjusted? Adjustment of a joint may result in release of a gas bubble between the joints that makes a popping sound – it’s exactly the same as when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint that results in gas bubbles being released. There is no pain involved. top What effects can be expected after a treatment? Many animals feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 -48 hours. top My pet may be too aggressive to visit your practice – a vet visit is always traumatic. What can I do? Your animal may be afraid or aggressive because they’re experiencing some discomfort or pain. We can offer you two options: Bring them to the practice where we will take all possible precautions and as much time as is needed to ensure that your pet has a positive experience at our practice. If you choose this route, ensure that your pet is well fed and rested prior to their appointment. Walk them if they are able. We will come to you. This may be the more suitable option for you. Please contact us for our home visit rates. top
How does a person adjust an animal as large as a horse? Remember that the chiropractor is not trying to move an entire horse but rather a specific joint in the horse’s spine. Every joint has sensitive nerve receptors which send messages to the brain. The adjustment, a high velocity, low force thrust by hand, stimulates these nerve receptors. To be successful the adjustment is applied to a specific joint in a specific direction. The adjustment restores normal motion in the joint and alleviates muscle spasm and pain. top How many adjustments will my animal need? Several factors determine the number and frequency of adjustments required to correct a problem: The animal’s age, physical condition, and severity of the problem are three major factors The length of time that the problem has been present is a factor.
Generally speaking, though, changes in the animal’s attitude and movement can be noticed even after one treatment. Three treatments a couple weeks apart will resolve a lot of minor issues. top Do you treat other animals? Yes. Please call for more specific advice on how we may help your other animals. Of course, we will work closely with your vet's supervision. top Can an animal benefit from an adjustment even if they don’t have pain? When an animal is “pain free,” we think they are disease free. It’s the old theory of “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?” Unfortunately, pain is usually the last thing to present in illness and the first thing to go away in an incomplete healing process. Animals of all ages, from the very young to the very wise, whether in pain or not, can receive benefit from getting adjusted. top Is chiropractic treatment ongoing? The simple answer is no. We don’t want you to become life long members of our practice but we do want to help you through the times when your body is in pain – and that is often a process. So, when you’re feeling discomfort, yes, it’ll probably take a few sessions to help you feel better… Any good doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last. And we will. top
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