CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Chiropractic care, or spinal manipulation therapy, is the practice of using the hands to manipulate joints and restore normal motion in joints that are restricted. As a result of normal wear and tear on the body, some joints in the limbs or the spine will develop restricted motion due to repetitive patterns of use. This can be a result of several factors -- including tight or weak muscles, inflammation, or scar tissue (adhesions) within the joints themselves. Even minor restrictions in any of these structures can significantly affect range of motion of the joints.
Any restrictions in the spine can also affect the nerve pathways carrying messages from the limbs to the brain and from the brain to the muscles and organs. This can also negatively impact the blood supply to the peripheral nerves as they come out of the spinal cord, causing paresis, or weakness, of the muscles they control.
WHAT IS
CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
WHAT IS
SUBLUXATION?
One popular term for these joint restrictions is “subluxation”. However, this term is confusing as it is often confused for the medical term “luxation”. In medical terms, a true luxation of a joint means that the joint capsule is disrupted and the joint is completely out of place, which is obviously a much more traumatic and catastrophic issue. Think complete dislocation of a joint, rather than popping your knuckles when they ache. Restriction is a more accurate term as we are only talking about millimeters of displacement and dysfunction, and the joint capsule itself is not compromised. The joint is still intact, but nonetheless does not move completely normally.
HOW DOES IT WORK ?
All chiropractic adjustments function by delivering a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to the restricted joint in line with the joint anatomy. This relieves the restriction by triggering stretch receptors in the muscles around the joint to relax the associated muscles. High velocity means that this thrust is very fast (in order to effectively trigger the stretch receptors), and low amplitude means that the amount of force used is very small. Using improper force risks damage to the joint and can cause serious pain, and high amplitude is not necessary if the thrust is correctly following the anatomy—the goal is to achieve therapeutic treatment, not dramatic ‘POPs’. Anyone providing chiropractic care MUST have an extensive understanding of the anatomy and neurology for the species they treat to provide effective treatment without causing trauma.
WHAT CONDITIONS
CAN IT HELP ?
Restricted motion can manifest as gait abnormalities, difficulty with lateral movement and bending, lack of power from the hind end, resistance in the bridle, or even behavioral issues due to pain. Dysfunction of the nerves, joints, and muscles causes abnormal movement and body carriage that over time contributes to injuries to the tendons and ligaments that must provide greater joint stability beyond their intended purpose in order to compensate for weakness elsewhere.
Chiropractic care can resolve restrictions that cause these issues and promote normal movement of the joint, allowing the horse to move and the muscles to function more normally. Muscles also provide stability to the joints, so it becomes a circle that promotes normal function – the joints move normally, so the nerves function normally, so the muscles move normally, stabilizing the joints, etc.
Facilitating healthy joint motion with chiropractic care can also promote normal function elsewhere in the body, such as healthy bladder function, normal stool, and even healthy reproductive health. Anything that results in pain in the body or affects the nerve pathways involved in regulating sympathetic tone (the fight or flight response) can also have profound impact on normal organ function. For example, a restriction at the thoracolumbar junction – the vertebrae that transition between the upper and lower back in the spine – can result in increased sympathetic tone which can cause dysregulation of the immune cells in the gut and contribute to chronic soft stool. Another example is a sacral restriction (where the spine meets the hips) that may cause dysfunction in the firing of the nerves responsible for controlling the urethral sphincter, causing incontinence. By promoting healthy transmission of the nerves in the spinal cord and allowing for good regulation of sympathetic tone, we can also promote normal function of these organs.
WHAT ARE THE
LIMITATIONS ?
There are, of course, many things that chiropractic care cannot fix. It will not fix any tendon or ligament tears that have already occurred and will not reverse bony changes resulting from arthritis or other disease processes of the bones (such as Kissing Spines or Navicular Disease). However, it is a very helpful part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for injuries by promoting normal motion and facilitating improved, longer lasting rehabilitation. Although it will not fix any arthritic changes, it is a great management tool for horses with arthritis as it can decrease pain around the joint by increasing normal joint function and decreasing the spasticity of any muscles with increased tone. A multimodal approach for all of these issues is critical, and chiropractic care is an extremely valuable tool in managing many of these issues.
HOW OFTEN ARE
SESSIONS
RECOMMENDED ?
It varies depending on what is being addressed – most active horses used for athletic purposes benefit at least once a month. Often if there is an acute injury it is recommended to do more frequent treatments initially (weekly or every other week). However, any chiropractic care can help promote healthy movement especially if the abnormal movement patterns are diagnosed and corrected with exercises designed to improve muscle strength. Adjustments even every other month or every three months can significantly benefit animals.