Why is it helpful to animals?
Like people, animals can suffer from neck and back pain and pelvic asymmetry which may be caused by skeletal misalignments.
A misalignment is when a vertebra/bone is no longer aligned with its neighbouring bones and has become "stuck" within its normal range of movement.
In turn, this may impinge the nerves inserting and exiting the spinal cord via the vertebrae.
The nerves are responsible for passing information to and from all the muscles so if they are compromised, then detrimental effects may be felt elsewhere in the body.
In these cases, discomfort and compensatory movement patterns can occur.
McTimoney Animal chiropractors aim to restore symmetry in the animal’s musculoskeletal system through the correction and rehabilitation of misalignments, restore neurological function and reduce muscle spasms and discomfort.
How does the treatment work?
McTimoney chiropractic has a holistic approach – looking at the whole body although paying particular attention to the spine and pelvis. This holistic approach extends to the assessment of the animal both statically and dynamically to ensure that both primary and secondary issues are addressed.
Practitioners are trained in sensitive palpation to identify areas of misalignment or imbalance. Then using only their hands, they affect a rapid contraction and release of the muscle around the vertebrae to release the restriction.
McTimoney chiropractic adjustments are gentle and light and as such are usually well received by animals.
McTimoney chiropractic adjustments also enable the animal’s body to utilise its’ own innate healing intelligence to realign and heal, rather than forcing an immediate change to happen that the body may not be ready to accept. So while in some cases benefits can often be seen immediately, or within a few days of treatment, in others, the benefits of the treatment may be more gradual as it relies on the individual’s response time.
Causes of misalignments
Acute
Causes are often the result of recent trauma. Examples for horses: falling at a fence or in the field, becoming cast in the stable, tendon injury, fatigue, etc. Examples for dogs: Falling down stairs or out of a car, rough play with other dogs, agility or flyball-related injury etc.
The animal may heal quite quickly from the initial trauma but if misalignments have occurred that are left untouched then this could result in them developing into a chronic problem, particularly if a compensatory movement pattern is adapted during recovery.
Chronic
Causes are usually long-term and are usually related to a previous or underlying condition or trauma.
Because of this, chronic issues usually require a long-term treatment plan which may often be multi-modal, to help the issue at hand and maintain the benefits of the treatment.
Maintenance programme
Scheduling regular check-ups in your animals’ wellness programme can allow any mild misalignments to be detected, preventing the development of asymmetrical musculature, compensatory movement and discomfort.
The more aligned and balanced the body, the more symmetrical the movement and the less susceptible the body is to stresses and strains.
Regular blended sessions of chiropractic and bodywork can:
- Prevent muscle strain
- Encourage even muscle development
- Increase stride length
- Increase flexibility and joint mobility
- Decrease muscle fatigue after training/competition
This is the ideal session for your animal so optimal health, soundness and performance can be maintained. From the growing youngster to the mature athlete, regular check-ups (between 3 months and yearly, depending on the individual, and the work done), are an ideal way to ensure your animal is in great shape.