You may have heard, that I recently received my certification in Equine Veterinary Medical Manipulation (EVMM) from the Integrative Veterinary Medical Institute. I hope your first thought is “Congratulations” and I bet your second thought is “what is that?” By law, the only people who can call themselves chiropractors are those who have gone through professional school to earn their Doctrate of Chiropractic (DC). Unless you are a chiropractor, you cannot do chiropractic work*. (This is as it should be, I know I would be rather upset if the average Joe went around vaccinating horses and calling himself a veterinarian). Given that distinction, what I do is very similar to what chiropractors do on people; I simply work on horses instead.
The following is a brief list of questions and answers regarding EVMM.
A horse’s spine is huge and buried deep in inches of muscle, how can you possibly “pop” his bones back in place?
While it is easy to explain that there is a bone out of place and we are pushing it back where it belongs; that is a gross oversimplification and not at all accurate. If the horse’s bones were actually out of place, it would constitute a veterinary emergency and would be visible on radiographs. The restrictions that I palpate involve muscles that have tightened on one part of a joint causing it to lose its normal range of motion. Most corrections are small, fast movements meant not to move bones, but instead to activate the nervous system, resetting those tight muscles to allow normal joint range of motion. This is why manipulations are not about strength but rather speed and accuracy.
A horse’s spine is huge and buried deep in inches of muscle, how can you possibly “pop” his bones back in place?
While it is easy to explain that there is a bone out of place and we are pushing it back where it belongs; that is a gross oversimplification and not at all accurate. If the horse’s bones were actually out of place, it would constitute a veterinary emergency and would be visible on radiographs. The restrictions that I palpate involve muscles that have tightened on one part of a joint causing it to lose its normal range of motion. Most corrections are small, fast movements meant not to move bones, but instead to activate the nervous system, resetting those tight muscles to allow normal joint range of motion. This is why manipulations are not about strength but rather speed and accuracy.
What does an exam and treatment look like?
Treatment begins with a history of the horse, current issues under saddle and an exam at the walk. While trotting is great for looking at lameness, the spine actually moves more at the walk making it better for evaluation. Next comes a brief check of the cranial nerves and motion palpation of the entire body, starting at the temporomandibular joint and hyoid bone, continuing down the neck and back with special attention paid to each rib head, the sacroiliac region and pelvis. Beyond looking at the axial skeleton there are stops in between to manipulate all of the joints of both front and rear legs. Abnormalities in the motion of the joints along the way are generally corrected at the same time.
Treatment begins with a history of the horse, current issues under saddle and an exam at the walk. While trotting is great for looking at lameness, the spine actually moves more at the walk making it better for evaluation. Next comes a brief check of the cranial nerves and motion palpation of the entire body, starting at the temporomandibular joint and hyoid bone, continuing down the neck and back with special attention paid to each rib head, the sacroiliac region and pelvis. Beyond looking at the axial skeleton there are stops in between to manipulate all of the joints of both front and rear legs. Abnormalities in the motion of the joints along the way are generally corrected at the same time.
Are there any horses that should not be adjusted?
Yes definitely!
-Horses showing signs of neurologic impairment (especially with a history of recent trauma) should have their necks radiographed prior to manipulation as a fractured vertebrae could become displaced even with mild manipulation.
-Recent trauma, even without neurologic signs may not respond well to manipulation. Ideally we would like to wait 5-7 days to allow inflammation to decrease so the true underlying problems can be determined.
Yes definitely!
-Horses showing signs of neurologic impairment (especially with a history of recent trauma) should have their necks radiographed prior to manipulation as a fractured vertebrae could become displaced even with mild manipulation.
-Recent trauma, even without neurologic signs may not respond well to manipulation. Ideally we would like to wait 5-7 days to allow inflammation to decrease so the true underlying problems can be determined.
-Lastly, while not a true contraindication, horses with excessively long toes or underlying lameness will not hold adjustments well as they constantly position themselves to compensate for this foot imbalance or discomfort. Money may be better spent addressing the underlying issue before manipulation is attempted.
Now that you have heard my side of the story, I would love to hear your comments as well as any other questions you have. Please send me e-mails with your questions or comments at doc@flyinghorsevet.com. I also plan to offer a free client education course on EVMM in January so keep an eye on my website and Facebook page for details.
*As a side note, if you hear of a Dr. Snedden who is a chiropractor, that is my brother, Dr. Cale who works at the Montonya chiropractic center on 21st street in Newark. I highly recommend his services.
Now that you have heard my side of the story, I would love to hear your comments as well as any other questions you have. Please send me e-mails with your questions or comments at doc@flyinghorsevet.com. I also plan to offer a free client education course on EVMM in January so keep an eye on my website and Facebook page for details.
*As a side note, if you hear of a Dr. Snedden who is a chiropractor, that is my brother, Dr. Cale who works at the Montonya chiropractic center on 21st street in Newark. I highly recommend his services.
RSS Feed
