The tissues that cause the biggest problems after injury are the vertebrae of the spine. Because the spine constantly adjusts to minute changes in body position and ground surface, the spine is continuously bombarded with proprioceptive information. (Proprioception is the ability to know where any body part is in space at a given moment). Imagine putting your hand out and closing your eyes. You still have a sense of where your hand is because of receptors in your joints that feed back to your brain. The spinal joints are packed more densely with these receptors than, for example, the extremities. This illustrates how much more important the spine is.

You know that nerves that leave the spine go to every tissue of the body. This explains why chiropractic care can have dramatic effects with non-mechanical problems. Colic and other digestive problems, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and other such problems have been helped by chiropractic care. But please remember that the origins of such problems may be non-mechanical, so check with your veterinarian first to rule out diseases or medical conditions.

Keep in mind that chiropractic does not replace traditional veterinary medicine, but works very well in conjunction with it. When a joint is subluxated it loses motion and sometimes position as well. The chiropractic adjustment is aimed at correcting the subluxation by restoring motion and proper alignment to the vertebral segment complex. In this way, the body can return to its proper working order. This is how chiropractic works to eliminate the cause of the problem and not just simply treat the symptoms.

In this way, chiropractic is a valid, concurrent, complimentary treatment procedure to veterinary medicine for many back and lameness problems. As with any health related problems or conditions that your horse may experience, it is important that your veterinarian be contacted initially so that he or she can assess your horse for any underlying medical condition that could be causing similar symptoms.

Once you realize that chiropractic is right for your animal, the most important thing when choosing your Animal Chiropractor is to make sure they are both licensed as a DVM or DC, and certified through the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. Beware of unqualified people claiming to be animal adjusters. Even licensed chiropractors and veterinarians aren't prepared to adjust animals when they get their DVM or DC degree. Veterinarians receive no training in the art, science and philosophy of chiropractic, whereas Chiropractors receive no training in animal anatomy, physiology or pathology. This is why it is so important to find an AVCA certified practitioner. AVCA certified doctors are trained in motion and static palpation, gait analysis, and proper animal biomechanics, as well as specific adjusting techniques. They use their hands, not mallets and two-by-fours to adjust your horse. They have also been trained to recognize pathology that may cause chiropractic care to be contraindicated. In these cases, they will work with your veterinarian to return your animal to optimal health.

AVCA certified doctors have undergone an intensive postgraduate course that requires a minimum of 200 hours of study and have passed numerous examinations similar to state licensing exams. After certification there is also continuing education on a yearly basis to keep up on current and new adjusting techniques. This is why you should only have a certified AVCA doctor as your Animal Chiropractor.