Is chiropractic the same as manual therapy or osteopathy?
There are differences between chiropractic and osteopathic philosophical background and training. But the similarity is a focus on manual palpation to diagnose musculoskeletal imbalance, and some type of manual therapy to restore balance to the whole body.
Is chiropractic safe? Does it hurt?
For most musculoskeletal disorders of domestic animals, it is likely that chiropractic treatment has less risk than that associated with common medical and surgical treatments for these conditions. There is no published data on the safety of animal chiropractic treatment. In human patients, chiropractic (like all medicine) does have documented risks. Statistically rare complications have been reported. The most common side effect is localized muscle soreness. If a practitioner is not familiar with veterinary anatomy, or if the animal is nervous and moves around or stiffens its muscles during the treatment, soft tissue or joint trauma may occur. It is important that your animal feels comfortable with the practitioner and is relaxed during the treatment. There are some gentle chiropractic techniques that do not use manual thrusts, and these may be more appropriate for a tense or uncooperative animal. A veterinary examination prior to chiropractic treatment is important to identify patients that might be harmed by chiropractic. For example if your pet has a fracture or a tumor, chiropractic treatment in affected areas is contraindicated. Professionally trained doctors know how to assess pain and reduce the chances of painful adjustments without medication. If a manual adjustment is too painful for your animal, I will use a gentle instrument-assisted method or apply a different treatment such as acupuncture or laser.
What training do veterinary chiropractors have?
For veterinarians practicing animal chiropractic, there is no training or licensing required beyond the veterinary degree. The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) does offer certification for veterinarians and chiropractors after they have attended an AVCA accredited training program, although this certification is not recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association as a formal specialty. Another training available to vets and chiropractors is Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM). This is a gentle method using a hand-held instrument to make an adjustment. Dr. Lancaster has found VOM to be particularly effective on nervous or tense animals that are resistant to the physical force of a standard adjustment.