Saturday, January 19, 2013

McTimoney Spinal Manipulation for Horses, Dogs and Other Animals

The McTimoney technique was originally developed by John McTimoney over 50 years ago. He was a human chiropractor who developed a specific technique for use on animals when he was presented with a lame horse that the vets had exhausted all treatment options with.
The McTimoney technique is now taught as a masters level qualification by the McTimoney College of Chiropractic in Abingdon. It is not to be confused with McTimoney-Corley which is a year long course and achieves a diploma in McTimoney Corley Animal Manipulation.
Prior to treatment you should always consult your usual vet. It is illegal for anyone to treat your horse or dog without veterinary consent in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act. Your vet will also be able to inform you of any contraindications for treatment based on previous injuries, illnesses and problems, you can pass this information on to the practitioner. In some circumstances the vet will also want a written report from the practitioner which can be provided.
The McTimoney treatment aims to correct misalignments in the animal's spine and pelvis; a misalignment is where a bone is held out of alignment to those either side and causes a reduced range of movement of the joint. Where there is a misalignment there will often be inflammation and nervous impingement which can have a knock on effect throughout the whole body.
The McTimoney treatment is a holistic treatment which provides a stimulus for the bodys innate intelligence to react to. The adjustments are carried out using only the practitioners hands and it is the speed of the adjustment that has the effect, hence the treatment is relatively gentle and most horses relax and enjoy the experience.
Symptoms which might suggest that your animal has a misalignment include: change of behaviour, bucking, resisting being tacked up, resisting being groomed, going better on one rein than the other, stopping at jumps. For dogs there include: not wanting to go for exercise, sitting to one side constantly, struggling jumping ie on and off furniture or in the car.
All McTimoney practitioners will follow the same process when treating an animal, the whole body of the animal is taken into consideration. A full history will be taken initially to identify any problems and to ensure there are no contraindications to treatment. The medical history is very important and if you are unsure of this you should discuss it with your vet prior to treatment, if this is not something you are comfortable with your practitioner will be happy to chat with your vet too. Next your practitioner will examine the horse for any current injuries before performing a gait analysis which will be in walk, trot and on circles. Next they will check the horse for misalignments and adjust any that are found. The treatment should be performed on a non slip surface such as bedding or rubber matting for safety.
After the treatment your practitioner will be able to give you specific advice regarding aftercare which will be specific to the horse or dog and the treatment they have received. Some general advice is that they may need 24 hours rest following treatment with exercise increased slowly each day until a return to normal. They may also drink more than usual so plenty of fresh water should be provided. It is not unusual for the animal to be tired and stiff for a couple of days following treatment, this is perfectly normal and should subside within a couple of days.
If a lot of treatment was necessary the animal should have a follow up appointment to determine how receptive they have been to treatment and whether it has held. Misalignments that have been in place for a long period of time may take more treatments than those that have just occurred due to the muscle building around the area.





By  Carole McClelland

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