Veterinary Chiropractic/ Spinal Manipulation/ Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation
Is there really such a thing as veterinary chiropractic? What is spinal manipulation? Is there a difference? What about Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation? Could these terms be any more confusing?
Technically, the term chiropractic can only be applied when referring to humans. Thus, chiropractic is a term which does not technically exist within the field of veterinary medicine. While the term may not technically be approved, however, the art of chiropractic care is most definitely alive and well within veterinary medicine. To get around the semantics, we often refer to chiropractic work on animals as spinal manipulation so these terms can be considered one in the same.
Lets complicate things further and look at another term, veterinary orthopedic manipulation (VOM). This is a technique which uses a chiropractic activator- a high velocity, low force instrument- to affect an adjustment. Using the activator is a valid method of adjustment which some animals actually find preferable to manual hands on manipulation. I personally have an activator which I use on occasion. The difference between using the activator as a chiropractor would and using it as one would when preforming VOM is vast. I am certified in veterinary chiropractic (spinal manipulation) and have also taken the VOM weekend course to see what this technique was, and I did gain some insights in the VOM course. This method, as taught, however, is unrefined and very nonspecific. You are not taught to feel misalignments or subluxations, and thus you are not able adjust only those areas which have problems. Furthermore, no attempt is make to even begin to instruct students how to direct the applied forces so that you can use the least amount of force to affect your desired adjustment. I have seen results in using VOM as taught, but for my dog, I would consider it a poor cousin to a true chiropractic adjustment.
I do not doubt that veterinarians offering VOM services are doing so with the best of intentions and that many of their patients are benefiting. That said, I worry that not enough has been taught to make these practitioners aware of the need for caution in their treatments. As a pet owner it is your responsibility to be aware what is being offered to you so that you can make informed choices for your pet.
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Leah on 01 Oct 2008 at 3:57 pm #
Dear Dr. Lord,
Dr. Giggleman, the president of American Veterinary Chiropractic Association would be happy to discuss the difference between VOM and animal chiropractic. Chiropractic is not a term used exclusively when referring to humans. Your description of VOM is quite similar to his, but he is better at explaining the more specific chiropractic adjustment and how it contrasts. In my experience, both the VOM and animal ciropractic have worked wonders for our dog. I am a “people chiropractor” who attended Parker College of Chiropractic, where Dr. G is academic dean. See http://www.avca.org for more information.
Dr Tracy Lord on 05 Oct 2008 at 10:03 pm #
In many, if not most states in the US, chiropractic is a term defined as being used on humans. In fact, the American Chiropractic Association defines chiropractic as “a branch of the healing arts which is concerned with HUMAN health and disease processes. It goes on to to say “….procedures specifically include the adjustment and manipulation of the articulations and adjacent tissues of the HUMAN BODY.
This definition was challenged in Michigan in 1998 and it was upheld by the court of appeals that chiropractic is an exclusively human term. I completed my animal chiropractic training in 2004, and whether a veterinarian could be challenged or sued for using the term was certainly a point of discussion. Some veterinarians are unsure enough of what the outcome would be in such a case in their States that they choose not to use the term chiropractic.
The other place where this definition becomes significant is with human chiropractors adjusting animals. Most states that I know of restrict chiropractors from adjusting animals unless they have a referral from the pet’s veterinarian. Other states state that a human chiropractor must work with the veterinarian.
My point in this post was to make people aware that when looking for an animal chiropractor, they may see the term spinal manipulation used in lieu of chiropractic. Certainly, there is a Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the term is used widely by the large associations. Still, many individual veterinary practitioners stear clear of the term in the phone book or in other venues so as to avoid the possibility for any controversy.
I think that the site you were referencing is http://www.avcadoctors.com. It is a very good site and gives a good discription of chiropractic and how it works. I have on my cue of articles to write, one regarding chiropractic medicine, how and why it works. Perhaps I will modify this one in the future to include such information. I agree that that is information not covered here and maybe it should be.
I have many clients who are confused by the terms used for adjusting animals and felt that a post on the different terms and their meanings would be helpful for those who were seeking chiropractic care for their pets and seeing terms possibly unfamiliar to them.
As a veterinarian certified in both VOM and animal chiropractic, I have certainly seen positive results from both modalities and do not mean to suggest that VOM is not potentially benificial. I, however, opt to apply forces to my patients backs to adjust them only where I feel and adjustment is needed. Please note that I have NO problems using a chiropractic activator and do use one on occasion. I just restrict my use of such an instrument to those areas that I feel are subluxated.