Animal Chiropractic Near Troy, NY
Chiropractic Care
The spine extends from the neck to the tailbone and directly affects the nervous system. A healthy spine is an essential part of a sound body and active lifestyle. Because the nervous system controls all aspects of the body, poor spinal health can cause a variety of conditions that negatively impact performance, health, and activity like incontinence, gastrointestinal problems, and patellar luxations. These can all be effectively addressed with chiropractic adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chiropractic care is a treatment of the whole body as opposed to treating specific symptoms of a condition. It focuses on health, not disease, specifically the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. Nerves enter and exit the spine, transferring information between the brain, spinal cord, organs, muscles, and other parts of the body.
It also controls all the functions of the body, including the organs. So, if the spine is out of alignment, it not only causes the body to perform poorly but can also lead to pain, discomfort, and disease. Chiropractic works by maintaining proper nervous system function to preserve homeostasis within the body.
The best use of chiropractic care is as a preventive approach to healthcare. Along with eating a good diet, getting exercise, and having yearly wellness exams, regular chiropractic treatments are very beneficial to maintain good health. Many animals, just like people, are compensating for a problem within their body without even realizing it. This results in the back being thrown out of alignment, causing bigger issues to arise.
Chiropractic care can be used as a single treatment modality or in conjunction with traditional veterinary medicine, depending on the patient’s preexisting disease or condition. It can likewise slow the progression of a disease or condition.
Chiropractic helps reduce pain and improve mobility by promoting the body’s innate ability to heal itself via the nervous system through the reduction of vertebral subluxation complexes (chiropractic adjustments). Through adjustments, I will evaluate the movement of the spine and extraspinal bones as well as remove any interference to the nervous system to put the body back into its homeostatic state to promote health and wellness.
In doing spinal manipulation, a subluxation (spinal structural displacement) is felt as decreased movement in the spine. With a gentle, controlled thrust, the specific subluxated or fixed vertebrae is corrected, eliminating local pain and restoring nerve flow to the body.
Chiropractic techniques performed on animals have been formulated differently from those applied to humans to adapt to the differences in animals’ anatomies and to take into account the differences between animal species.
Before any chiropractic treatment is given, a medical history is taken and physical, lameness, neurologic, and chiropractic exams are performed. Then during the session, I will apply a force called an adjustment on specific areas of vertebrae and the bones of the extremities to allow these to move normally.
Yes! Everyday activities for animals of all ages can cause damage to the spine. Chiropractic adjustments will correct posture, relieve pain, and return the body to its homeostatic state to promote health. Young animals can benefit from regular chiropractic treatments because they are very physically active. Sometimes they experience falls and injuries that we may not see as they are good at compensating for an injury.
Older animals many times have ailments related to the spine and/or extremities or conditions associated with aging, such as arthritis, joint stiffness, pain, or circulatory issues. They may also benefit from chiropractic. Although sometimes chiropractic care will not “fix” a problem, such as an ear infection, it will certainly help put the body in a more neutral position (homeostasis), which in turn helps the body return to normal function.
Yes! Only a veterinarian certified in chiropractic should adjust your beloved pet. He or she may experience some minor discomfort with an adjustment, but the discomfort should resolve very quickly. The most common side effect following chiropractic treatment, similar to exercise, is mild soreness that can last between 12 to 48 hours.
- Reluctance to perform or more careful with movement
- Abnormal posture when standing or sitting
- Discomfort or pain
- Lameness or stiffness in lateral movement of neck or back
- Evasive maneuvers or behaviors, such as biting or hollowing of the back, using forelimbs more, and excessive muscle tension
- Asymmetrical movement (short strides)
- Inability to engage rear quarters
- Formication, which is a common cause of lick granulomas
- Trauma, such as constant jumping up and down, repetitive microtrauma, a fall or hard jump, and acute or chronic neck or back pain
- Injuries from agility training, frisbee, ball jumping, roughhousing, or any regular activities
- Hypersensitivity to touch
- Altered sitting position
- Altered head carriage
- Recurrent ear and anal gland infections
- Recurrent digestive trouble
- Pain or signs of pain when performing certain movements or regular movements or when being lifted
- Limited performance
- Undefined lameness, slow gait, and unevenly worn nails
- Dysfunction or loss of mobility of adjoining vertebrae
- Reluctance to move, climb stairs, and jump up or down from raised areas like couches
- Age or conformation traits
- Slow progression of a disease or condition
- Reverse some neurological symptoms
- Maintenance to prevent a problem
Chiropractic treatments effectively put the bones back into proper alignment. But massage will help to relax the muscles and keep the adjustments in place. Massage therapy for dogs and cats can improve circulation, relieve tension and muscle strain, promote healing, and increase range of motion and flexibility.
This hands-on treatment works well for pets suffering from chronic pain, anxiety issues, muscle spasms or atrophy, and problems associated with aging. Using massage techniques and trigger point therapy, we can enhance performance and improve quality of life.
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Animal Wellness Veterinary Services uses safe and effective holistic treatments that will help your beloved pet recover from their ailments. Reach out to me to learn more about what I do.