Equine Services Currently Offered The following is a comprehensive list of services we offer our equine clients: Sports Medicine Chiropractic Therapy Acupuncture Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Sports Medicine Our equine athletes have come a long way from walking the grass plains all day. The demands we put on their bodies often lead to joint and muscle pain and can even result in more severe injuries. My goal is to keep them as sound and comfortable as possible by addressing asymmetries, aches and pains before they escalate to the point of injury. During the initial exam, a posture and gait evaluation is done (on the longe line or under saddle). It often will involve flexion tests of specific joints of the limbs. Your horse's joints and muscles will be palpated, and a treatment plan will be made based on my findings. The initial examination may involve chiropractic, acupuncture or both. Often some of the treatment is up to you. Specific exercises or workout programs may be prescribed as physical therapy. If your horse already has a known injury or area of pain, that will be addressed as will the many areas where your horse is compensating for that injury. Getting the entire body more balanced and comfortable will be invaluable in returning your horse to full health. If your horse requires joint injections or other therapeutic medications from your regular Veterinarian, my treatment will complmement their effects. Chiropractic Therapy Horses carry the saddle and the weight of the rider on their back. This predisposes them to back pain more than most animals. When even a subtle change in the alignment of their joints occurs, it is called a subluxation. Subluxations can be painful. They affect the nervous system, local muscles, joints and even distant organs, glands and body functions. The method of correcting these subluxations is known as chiropractic therapy. Chiropractic adjustments can change nervous system input, affect blood flow, and alter hormone and neurotransmitter levels, thereby directly affecting the organs, glads, skin and joints. Most horses, even sensitive-skinned ones, really enjoy the treatment. Acupunture According to the classical doctrines of Chinese Medicine, there is an unceasing flow of life energy, or Qi (pronounced "Chee"), through the body. In order to maintain a state of wellnes, according to TCM, it is essential that Qi flow in a smooth, harmonious and unobstructed manner. This vital energy originates from the major organs, flows along the continuous circulatory channels (meridians), and passes through the other organs, ending or beginning in the extremities. When the energy flow is smooth and in balance, your pet is healthy. If the balance is disturbed, your horse will feel ill or be in pain. Most illnesses and injuries are either caused by or accompanies by disturbances in the flow and balance of Qi. At specific points along the meridians (acupuncture points), the energy flow can be stimulated and the function of related organs can be regulated. Acupuncture point stimulation restores the delicate balance of Qi energy in the body and allows beneficial healing to occur. Acupuncture can relieve pain, treat disease and strengthen the body's physical condition to promote health and prevent future illness. There are several different approaches for treating animals with acupuncture: Dry needling Electroacupuncture Moxibustion Aquapuncture Laser light therapy Dry needling is the most common and involves putting needles into multiple acupuncture points. However, there are occasions when heat, in the form of moxibustion, may be more appropriate. Low voltage electricity (electroacupuncture) also has particular applications. In some circumstances, very small sterile gold or silver beads are surgically implanted in the precise site of acupuncture points. The use of light as in the case of lasers can be very effective. In the case of aquapuncture, a small volume of a sterile liquid, such as vitamin B12, is injected into acupuncture points, particularly when a period of prolonged stimulations is necessary. Sometimes one or more than one of these methods will be used in a single treatment. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Traditional Chinese herbal medicine includes some of the most advanced uses of herbs on the planet today. There are over 3,000 plant parts, animal parts, and minerals that are useful in a wide variety of health conditions. As with modern drugs, herbal medicines have exact indications, precautions, and contraindications. Unlike modern drugs, herbal products are chemically complex and commonly have nutritional as well as drug-like activity in the body. Since most of our companion animals co-evolved with plant life as some part of their food supply, the absorption, metabolism, and elimination of these products occur in rather natural fashion in the body. Any condition treated by common western medicine can be addressed with Chinese herbal medicine. Fees Farm Call Charges: $50 - $100, based on location within practice range. They will be further divided amongst the number of horses being worked on Initial Examination & Treatment: $165 Repeat Chiropractic Treatment (all treatments after initial examination): $75 Repeat Acupuncture Treatment (all treatments after initial examination) $125 Repeat Chiropractic & Acupuncture: $165 Initial Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medical (TCVM) Evaluation and herbal formulation: $165 TCVM herbal recheck: $75 Saddle fitting evaluation: $125