Animal chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of animal chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Animal chiropractic assumes that every living body has some innate intelligence. Animal chiropractic care is about total health and well-being. It's about helping animals to feel great and get the most out of life by functioning at their optimum potential.
Because of this focus on the spine, many people think that animal chiropractors can only help with problems such as back pain, neck pain, and sore muscles. But there is much more to animal chiropractic than this. The spine is there to protect the spinal cord, which is part of the central nervous system. The spine is like a set of armor made up of segments that can bend and move naturally with the body. A spinal segment consists of two vertebrae and the joints that connect them. There is a disc between each vertebra that acts as a cushion. Underneath that armor, a whole lot is happening. Messages travel from around the body up the spinal cord and into the brain. The brain processes those messages and sends replies back down the spinal cord to tell the body how to respond. The central nervous system is one big information highway, and it carries vital messages to every part of the body.
Sometimes the wear and tear of everyday life can impact the spine and can cause spinal segments to move in a way that is different from normal, in a dysfunctional way. That wear and tear can happen gradually, such as from bad posture, or it can happen suddenly, which is common with sports injuries. Because of the close relationship between the spine and nervous system, everyday strains can actually impact the flow of information and communication between the brain and the body.
Messages may not be delivered to the brain or they may be inaccurate. When that miscommunication occurs due to abnormal movement in the spine, animal chiropractors call this a vertebral subluxation or a chiropractic subluxation. By making fast, gentle adjustments to the spine, certified animal chiropractors restore the natural movement of the spine.
If the central nervous system is like the engine of the body, a certified animal chiropractor acts as a mechanic, tuning the spine and central nervous system so that the body can run like a brand new race car. As your animal is adjusted, you may hear a popping sound that can seem a bit strange. In fact, it's completely harmless. It's just a release of gas from between the spinal segments, no more significant than any other release of gas from the body.
Chiropractic is a process, not a procedure. The adjustment and its immediate response are not the goal. The adjustment provides energy for the system to use in the way that it is programmed and capable of. The goal is to allow the body to sustain ease, or in other words, normal movement. Normal movement, normal physiology, and normal development are the key. The aim is to allow the system to optimize and be able to handle the stresses of life. Animal chiropractors don't fix or heal animals. Each animal is already whole and has the intelligence to care for itself. The proper specific adjustment allows that intelligence to express itself as optimally as possible.