Welcome to Optimum Animals!
Chiropractic for animals? What in the world?!! Well, animals have spines too, and a nervous system. Just like in our bodies, the nervous system controls everything!
Anything negatively affecting this nervous system resonates throughout an animal’s body. The spine is what houses the fragile nervous system, but the nerves have exit the boney protection of the spine in order to go to every square millimeter of an animal’s body. The spine, of course, has to be flexible and move in order for an animal to walk and exist. It is a complex framework of bones (vertebra), ligaments, muscles and nerves. Unfortunately, sometimes the biomechanics, or movement, of the spine gets messed up. When this happens there is interference with the transmission of messages along the nerves that branch off the spinal cord, going to muscles and organs. When the normal biomechanics, or motion, of your animal’s spine is altered they can experience stiffness, tension, pain and even organs not functioning correctly. Normal spinal movement is crucial for your animal’s quality of life and well-being! The nervous system coordinates the body’s ability to heal and regulate itself.
Trauma from accident’s; fights with other animals; the athletic demands we place on our pets; overuse; or underuse (being out of shape); and age, may cause the vertebra (or bones) of the spine to stop moving correctly, and the surrounding muscles and ligaments to become to become compromised and inflamed. Nerves could become trapped in these damaged tissues as they exit from the spine. When this happens the signals transmitted along these nerves can’t get through properly, causing a host of problems from organ malfunction to muscular and joint disturbances to altering the animal’s ability to heal itself. Some symptoms of spinal fixation are pain, spasm, sensitivity to touch, lameness, gait abnormalities and postural compromise.
Animal chiropractic is not meant to replace traditional veterinary care. The goal of an animal chiropractor is to restore function and mobility to the stuck vertebra in an effort to re-establish the flow of messages down the nerve. Chiropractors use their hands to identify areas of restriction and then apply a precise thrust on the immobile bone or vertebra, in order to restore it’s normal motion, and remove any interference with the nerve. Animal chiropractic is an integrative method, that when used in combination with good traditional veterinary care, will provide years of happy and healthy living for your pet. This is the beginning of a more modern, comprehensive approach to your animal’s healthcare.
Offering animal chiropractic services in Hillsborough and Raleigh, NC. Please call 919-414-6201 to setup an appointment.