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What a Subluxation Does to Your Animal
The Components of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Your animal looks and acts fine but unknown to you there are subluxations in its spine. The horse runs and turns well, riding feels normal, your dog still goes on walks with you and jumps on the couch. Everything seems just as it should be. Why should you worry until it gets worse? A subluxation means that the vertebrae and corresponding motor unit (surrounding soft tissue and other vertebrae) are not moving correctly. Early on some subluxations can exist without symptoms. However, left unattended they will eventually become symptomatic.
Kinesiopathology or the pathology of movement starts with the initial misalignment of the joint, which is made up of two or more separate bones. Each and every spinal segment contributes a small portion of the total amount of movement that allows the animal’s back to move. This cumulative motion allows your animal friend to bend around barrels, change directions quickly to jump up on the couch or just allow for a nice smooth ride around the neighborhood on a lazy afternoon. When one segment is not moving correctly then the segments in front of or behind may become hyper mobile in an attempt to maintain normal range of motion. Hyper mobility leads to degenerative changes and eventually loss of mobility of another segment or two. The loss of function in one spinal segment will affect the way your animal’s entire body moves and reacts to the world around it. Kinesiopathology restricts your animal’s ability to move in any or all ranges of motion.
Neuropathology involves problems caused in the nervous system. A nerve exits the spinal canal between two vertebra. If these nerves receive pressure due to the subluxation then there will be pain in the area. These nerves transmit data from the brain and spinal column to the rest of the body and then back from these remote areas to the central nervous system. Scientist Chung Ha Sue at Colorado University has discovered that the weight of a feather can decrease nerve transmission by up to 50%. This decrease in transmission will cause faulty input and output from the brain and spinal column to the rest of the body. Remember this data has to travel both ways. If your horse doesn’t really know where his legs are, how can he safely transport you on your ride? How can your dog manuver through an obstacle course if he doesn't feel his back legs. The meninges that surround your horse’s brain, spinal cord and some nerves and connect to the spine can be distorted by a subluxation. This can affect the stability and health of the entire spinal column. When the vertebral bones are misaligned, even slightly, they affect the nerves and the flow of nervous energy. Nerves are extremely sensitive and even a slight amount of pressure can affect their function.
Myopathology includes the tightness and spasms that occur in the muscles supplied by the nerves exiting the vertebral canal between the subluxated vertebra. This tightness can be isolated to the small muscles that connect one vertebra to the next or it can extend to the long muscles that run along the entire length of your horse’s back. This tightness can cause pain and weakness in the muscle and may lead to changes in the curve of your animal's spine. If muscles are not kept mobile they will eventually atrophy from disuse. Normal motion of the muscles stimulates venous blood flow in an area and promotes hygiene of the local synovial (joint) tissues.
Vascular Pathology describes the alterations in blood flow in and around the subluxated vertebra that can effect nearby or distant cells or organs. Blood vessels enter the spinal canal between the vertebra. These vessels carry the blood supply into the spinal column and provide blood to each segment of the spinal cord. Swelling in the area will cause decreased blood flow through the vessels supplying blood to the spinal joint itself. This can lead to increased joint stiffness and spinal disease.
Connective Tissue Pathology includes the changes that are seen in the tendons, ligaments, and supporting tissues in the area of the subluxation. Immobilization of these tissues leads to profound degenerative changes in as little as 3 days. Cartilage shrinks increasing its susceptibility to damage from minor trauma. Adhesions start to form which further decreases mobility in the area. Ligaments start to shorten leading to tightness in the area. Luckily for your animal most of these changes are favorably affected by the chiropractic adjustment.
Inflammatory Response includes the swelling, heat, redness, altered function, and pain that are the body’s response to inflammation. This is the most common reason that people seek out chiropractic care for themselves or their horses. Nerves surrounding an inflamed area become hyperexcitable and they will continue to fire even after stimulus has been removed. The pain from a subluxation will vary depending on the severity and acuteness of the problem.
Histopathology describes the microscopic changes that occur in tissues of the body. The subluxation causes noxious changes in the tissues surrounding the subluxated area of the spine. Also, the distant areas supplied by the nerves associated with the subluxations can undergo degenerative processes as the result of altered nerve function in and around the problem area of the spine. The tissue pathology caused by the subluxation, both local and distant, can be present in the absence of symptoms and may become quite serious by the time symptoms occur.
Pathophysiology details the effects that all these changes have on each other. Proper body function relies on constant feedback from the organs. Nerves supply muscles and organs with nutrition. These nutrients are essential for muscle tone and organ vitality. Pain caused by the subluxation and myopathology can stimulate the adrenal gland to secrete more adrenalin. Increased adrenalin in the body causes a decreased neurological impulse and blood supply to the skin, mucous membranes, reproductive, and digestive systems. The mucous membranes dry out, immunoglobulins have difficulty crossing them, leading to respiratory problems. Adrenalin decreases secretions in the digestive tract leading to gastrointestinal symptoms (colic). The immune system is suppressed and the body becomes more susceptible to all types of infections.
Biochemical Pathology is used to describe the biochemical changes that take place inside the cells that are affected by any one or a combination of the above mentioned types of pathology. Adverse changes within the cell can result in adverse cell function and as all organs are made up of cells, this can eventually result in organ failure. Therefore, as in histopathology, these changes can exist quite some time before symptoms occur. Keeping this in mind, subluxations can cause many negative changes at various levels that give no signs early on but can progress to considerably serious conditions if left unattended to.
Therefore, “subluxations”, not symptoms are the reason to have regular chiropractic checkups. Subluxations are the problem, symptoms are the advanced signs that the subluxation exists. Call your AVCA certified doctor and schedule a check up for your animal today.
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