Commentary
Having a conversation* with Dr. O (William Ormston, DVM) is mind-expanding. He is a veterinarian with a passion for exploring, learning, teaching and sharing the benefits of animal chiropractic, a branch of physical medicine. We are pleased to share this recent article.
For a four-legged animal to move correctly, it requires every bone, muscle, ligament, tendon and joint in its body to move correctly. A human can move around easily without moving anything above the waist. This is not possible for an animal that walks on four legs.”
Source: PetVet Magazine, August/September 2023. Link. True chiropractic is based on the spine and the central nervous system. Dr. O shares the importance of adjusting animal subluxations (misalignments) beginning at the atlas of the spine.
*NOTE: In a recent conversation with Dr. O, we learned of animal trials where chiropractic techniques on production animals made improvements in production outcomes and animal health.
Dr. O’s explanation of the animal chiropractor licensing process was also eye-opening. It requires a minimum of 210 certified hours of training from an accredited post-graduate program approved by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association which offers the primary national credential in North America.
People and animals do not share the same anatomy. Animal chiropractic should be performed only by a veterinarian or chiropractor who has received training specific to animal anatomy and special chiropractic techniques in animals.
The animal chiropractor designation is voluntary, time-limited and governed by the standards of the American Chiropractic Certification Commission. The AVCA website lists 634 certified animal chiropractors in the U.S. who have chosen to share their contact information. Many of them are DVMs now certified as animal chiropractors.