I was reading some thoughts that a fellow colleague wrote about the 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine. The prize went to a “breakthrough” researcher in cancer immunotherapy. They discovered that proper stimulation of our own immune system allows it to target cancer cells.
One of my mentors, Sharon Willoughby-Blake, DC, DVM, wrote, “The ability of the body to heal itself is mediated by the nervous system. When the nervous system is functioning properly, the tissues of the body can respond normally in fighting disease and in repairing damaged tissues. A chiropractic adjustment restores the function of the spinal column by restoring the function of the nervous system.” This has been stated and restated by many well-known chiropractic philosophers over the years. Hippocrates was quoted as saying, “Look well to the spine for the cause of disease.” He was saying that misaligned bones in the spine can cause organs to not work right, which leads to disease. Socrates then quoted Hippocrates and said, “If you seek health, look first to the spine.”
Animal chiropractic just makes sense. Animal chiropractic is a growing part of both the veterinarian and chiropractic professions. Sixty-seven percent of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are 78 million dogs in the U.S. and over 7.2 million horses.
When we look at how the nervous system of our animal friends ranks things in importance for survival, we start to understand how animal chiropractic can help the animals we work on relax, heal, and perform better. The priorities of the animal’s nervous system are as follows and in this order.
1 Minimize dural torque and tension (twisting of nerve tissues and their protective coverings) to keep the brain and nervous system uncompromised. Stating the obvious! One absolutely must have a functioning central nervous system (CNS) to survive. All other functions of the body depend on the CNS being kept alive and uncompromised. It is the first priority of the body. Our goal as healers needs to be aimed at helping, not hindering this. It allows optimal functioning of all organs, muscles, and cells, and enables proper feedback to the brain. This is also the goal of the chiropractic adjustment — the removal of nervous system interference.
2 Evaluate gravity and balance. Gravity/weight is a constant force for organizing function but can also be destructive if asymmetry is beyond critical limits. To maximize function and longevity, weight bearing should be as symmetrical possible. To distribute weight in stance and motion evenly, the body needs to be balanced. Being symmetrical and balanced helps achieve the first priority, which is to minimize dural torque and tensions, and second, to not fight gravity. Keeping the eyes level on the horizon allows the prey to see the predator, and the predator to see the prey. Uneven eyes result in problems at mealtime.
3 Assess afferent inputs (input from the periphery of the body toward the brain) and the environment. Afferent input includes incoming information to the CNS from the body and the senses. Just like with any data system, if the information going into the central processing unit is faulty, then the outputs won’t be optimal. Environmental input includes terrain, predators, and general environmental conditions that affect the body. This includes weather conditions, visual cues, internal sensations, sounds, and smells.
4 Handle and respond to pain and discomfort. Animals instinctively act to prolong their lives. They can ignore even high levels of pain, as well as low-grade/chronic pain, to survive. Pain is usually undesirable and causes stress, but it is a natural trigger for the rest necessary to allow healing. The higher priorities will allow the animal to survive, so its discomfort can facilitate healing by making the animal rest the affected part.
Avoidance of pain is low on the list of survival priorities, and yet that is often when chiropractic care is sought. Trillions of bits of information enter the brain every second, and only 10% are pain related. We are essentially ignoring over 90% of the animal’s nervous system. If we give an animal a medication to alter pain sensation without correcting cause, we might be further damaging the rest of the system. For an animal, getting the appropriate feedback from the environment is more important than avoiding pain. I am not saying that we should ignore extreme pain in our animal clients, but the restoration of their nervous system is more important according to their evolutionary priorities. When we utilize the manual adjustment, we can do both.
According to a recent study published in Neuromechanical, manual thrust manipulation (MTM) provided greater immediate reductions in self-reported disability and pain scores as compared to usual medical care (UMC) or mechanical assisted manipulation (MAM) for patients with low back pain. Patients were treated for four weeks, and scores were followed for six months. In our animal patients, the adjustment helps their pain and allows them to function better in their environment.
Pain is a major reason that owners seek veterinary care for their pets, or worse, try to rehome them. Twenty-three percent of animals are adopted through a shelter, and many are owner surrenders. According to the ASPCA’s National Rehoming Survey, pet problems are the most common reason that owners rehome their pet, accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of rehomed cats. Pet problems were defined as problematic behaviors, aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems the owner couldn’t handle. Chiropractic can help with many of these behaviors because it allows the animal’s nervous system to do what it was intended to do — help the body adapt to its environment. Let’s review. The nervous system controls everything! Chiropractic care can help.
Species-specific adjustments are very important in obtaining the maximum results from the chiropractic adjustment. Advanced training and certification to practice on animals is available for chiropractors and is a financially valuable asset to communities all over the world. Fewer drugs in the environment affect all beings that live in the area. Healthier animals lead to a healthier world. Get certified and start adjusting the animals in your community today.
Dr. O started his veterinary career like a lot of veterinarians. He started out thinking he wanted one thing, onlytofind outthatthe glitzandthe glamour of being it was not what he wanted. Through animal chiropractic, Dr. O found a sense of belonging, as well as an opportunity to help animal patients resolve their ailments. Animal chiropractic helped him to build a foundation for understanding health in animals that he was eager to share with other doctors like himself. Because of this he has been the backbone of more than one animal chiropractic program.He continues to find innovative ways to help animal chiropractors grow their practice, educate their clients and help more animals. For more information on Animal Chiropractic, send an email to [email protected] or go to the website www.animalchiropracticeducation.com/.
