The loss of function in one vertebra will affect the way your horse?s entire body moves and reacts to the world around it.
The subluxated vertebra
Chiropractors diagnose and correct subluxations, (misalignments of the vertebrae) and their corresponding soft tissue. These subluxations can pinch off circulation and impede proper nourishment to the muscles. This impediment can cause swelling, which in turn will create stiffness and even spinal disease. Muscles affected by subluxated vertebrae will eventually atrophy from disuse.
Just like a computer, the output from your horse's brain is only as good as the input. Tightness in the muscle can be isolated to the small muscles that connect one vertebra to the next, or it can extend to the long muscles that run along the entire length of your horse's back, causing pain and weakness in the muscle and possibly leading to changes in the curve of your horse's spine.
Proper body function relies on constant feedback from the organs. Nerves supply muscles and organs with nutrients, which are essential for muscle tone and organ vitality. Pain caused by the subluxation can stimulate the adrenal gland to secrete more adrenalin. This causes decreased neurological impulse and blood supply to the skin, mucous membranes, reproductive, and digestive systems. Adrenalin also decreases secretions in the digestive tract leading to gastrointestinal symptoms (colic). The immune system is suppressed and the body becomes more susceptible to all types of infections.
Chiropractic care can affect all areas of your horse's body even if the chiropractor works only on its back. Therefore, "subluxations," not symptoms, are the reason to have regular chiropractic checkups. Subluxations are the root problem, symptoms are simply the advanced signs that the subluxation exists.
Call your AVCA certified doctor and schedule a check up for your horse. Find the one closest to you at www.avcadoctors.com .
Dr. Bill Ormston graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After attending Options for Animals in 1998, he received certification from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association and began using chiropractic to treat his animal patients. Jubilee Animal Health is a mobile mixed animal practice in the Dallas Metroplex area, using mostly alternative methods. Dr. Ormston is one of the founding instructors of the post-graduate course in Animal Chiropractic at Parker Chiropractic College in Dallas. He has lectured nationally and internationally on Animal Chiropractic and biomechanics, and gait analysis in the quadruped. Bill and his three teenagers, Riley, Philip and Jessica, live in Celina, TX, with 2 dogs and 4 cats. Contact him at [email protected]