Alternative Therapies for the Horse

"Horses" Article
Article Directory Home

Pets And Animals

Horses

Alternative Therapies for the Horse
Expert Author: Michael Albert \| Submitted: 2006-12-26 \| Word Count: 576 words \| Views: 101 view(s) [View Summary]

It is not uncommon that trends in veterinary medicine to mirror trends in human medicine. To that end, it's not surprising that alternative medicine is being used more frequently on sick and injured horses. Instead of prescribing the latest wonder drug, some veterinarians are instead prescribing a little hands-on healing in the hopes that less invasive techniques will bring about a return to health. In this article, we'll examine two alternative healing practices that are becoming very popular in the horse world: chiropractic and massage.

CHIROPRACTIC
Equine chiropractors traditionally deal with "subluxations" of the vertebrae. Defined, subluxations are incomplete or partial dislocations of the vertebrae; in other words, vertebrae that are out of alignment. These misalignments can not only cause the horse pain in his back, but can also cause soft tissue damage around the area of the spine. And since the spine is said to be the conduit to the central nervous system, subluxations may possibly change neurological function of the spinal cord, the spinal nerve roots, and portions of the nervous system. The equine chiropractor adjusts these subluxations-in plain speaking he put the spine back into alignment-and returns the horse to optimal health.

What conditions does chiropractic treat?
Chiropractic is used to treat back and neck pain in the horse, as well as nerve damage. It can also be used to diagnose and come up with a treatment plan for certain lamenesses. Some people even use chiropractic during prepurchase exams to determine whether the horse has any neck or back injuries.

How is chiropractic administered, and how much does it cost?
Like a vet exam, the chiropractic exam begins with a case history. Posture analysis, gait analysis, static palpation, motion palpation, orthopedic exam, and a neurological exam follow. Based upon his or her findings, the vertebra is then manipulated during the adjustment by the practitioner.

How much does a chiropractic treatment cost?
A chiropractic exam and adjustment cost approximately $50-75, depending upon the extent of the problem and the length of the session.

Are there any risks?
Some believe that in the wrong hands, chiropractic can cause back and neck pain, lameness problems, and spinal cord injury. The equine chiropractor must have strong knowledge of equine vertebral anatomy, including vertebral joint relationships, the relationship of neural components, muscle attachments and nerve supply, and normal and abnormal range of motion.

MASSAGE
During a massage, the soft tissues of the body are worked by experienced hands and fingers. As any human who has been the recipient of one knows, massage stimulates acupuncture points and relieves tension. Myofascial release therapy, in which the fascia that connect and surround the muscles are manipulated, and myotherapy, a method of relaxing muscle spasm, improving circulation, and alleviating pain, are two of the most common types of equine massage therapy.

What conditions does massage treat?
Massage can really help sore muscles and tendons. It is frequently used to repair damaged muscle fiber, such as contracted tendons, ligament and muscle strains, chronic inflammatory conditions, peripheral nerve injuries, scar tissue, and chronic edema.

How is massage administered?
The soft tissues of the body are worked by the hands and fingers. The strokes are generally performed in the direction in which blood flows, which is toward the heart.

How much does equine massage cost?
A massage costs between $25 and $75, depending upon its duration.

What are the risks?
If your horse has acute inflammatory processes of the skin, soft tissue, bone and joints, fractures, sprains, circulatory disorders, presence or danger of hemorrhage, lyphangitis, and tumors, then massage should be avoided.

About the Author

Michael Albert is an expert by profession but he is also writing articles on horses, stallion, and trailors for a long time. He has done his research work in the same field within the organization of Horse Chit Chat.To know more about horse chit chat, horses for sale, horse trailers, horse forum, equine forum, horse articles visit http://www.horsechitchat.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Alternative-Therapies-for-the-Horse/64368

Article Tags: pets and animals, horses, horses for sale, horse forum, equine forum, horse articles, horse trailers

This article has been viewed 101 times.

More "Horses" Related Articles

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Horses" article category.

People interested in the above article "Alternative Therapies for the Horse" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

How To Afford Your Horse and Still Have Time to Ride

Expert Author: Madalyn Ward, DVM | Submitted: 2008-05-27 | Word Count: 1015 | Views: 20

This article discusses the different financial quadrants and the pro and cons of each method. The article reveals how one horse lover has balanced her passion for riding and the financial responsibilities of horsemanship.

Abandoned Horses - The Rising Concern Of Equine Society

Expert Author: Nancy Swigart | Submitted: 2008-05-23 | Word Count: 377 | Views: 21

Have you ever heard of a phrase called "The Abandoned Horses"? Do you know what it means? "Abandoned Horse" is a phrase which is used to describe horses which is considered no longer useful by its owners. Some horse owners are either dispassionate or they might not be capable in providing proper care for their horses. Due to the price hike of hay and grains, many horse owners are experiencing the economic pinch.

Using Natural Supplements for your Performance Horses

Expert Author: Madalyn Ward, DVM | Submitted: 2008-04-23 | Word Count: 871 | Views: 101

This article discusses the use of numerous natural supplements, including valerian, chamomile, arnica, and devil's claw. Dr. Ward provides readers with a clear understanding of the positive and negative effects of many different natural supplements for use with your performance horse.

Stem Cell Therapy

Expert Author: Madalyn Ward, DVM | Submitted: 2008-04-23 | Word Count: 876 | Views: 136

Stem cells in general and several approaches to stem cell therapy are discussed. All therapies are both legal and simple. A new nutritional product, Stemplex, is also discussed. Read the full article to learn more.

Insulin Resistance in Performance Horses

Expert Author: Madalyn Ward, DVM | Submitted: 2008-04-23 | Word Count: 1455 | Views: 19

Insulin Resistance (IR) in Performance horses is a condition that has recently come to the attention of many professionals and owners in the horse industry. If your horse seems sluggish, gains or loses weight easily, or loses muscle over his top line but maintains a cresty neck he may be Insulin Resistant. Read the full article for a complete explanation.

Big Back-to-Back Victories on Victoria

Expert Author: Ruth Meucci | Submitted: 2008-01-30 | Word Count: 884 | Views: 33

Awe Candy Girl, is the name of the 2007 World Champion Open Halter Filly. She is by Awe Striker, reversely...out of an own daughter of All Inclusive. Both World Champions are born, bred, and owned by Meucci Ranch.

How will Europe manage African Horse Sickness?

Expert Author: Alison Grimston | Submitted: 2008-01-09 | Word Count: 633 | Views: 32

African horse sickness is a potentially fatal, untreatable illness of equines, and cases are being found further north with global warming. If a case of this notifiable disease were to be found in the UK, we may find a foot and mouth-type slaughter situation occurring among our equines. Read on for more information!

Print Article

Comment on Article

Favorite Article

Email to Friend

Republish Article

Article Directory Home

Pets And Animals

Horses

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!

(Search in 23 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, German,
Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Greek,
Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian)

(We serve worldwide - Locations updated as at Saturday, 19 July 2008 01:05 pm , Singapore)

United States of America, USA . United Kingdom, UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) . Canada . Afghanistan . Albania . Algeria . American Samoa . Andorra . Angola . Anguilla . Antarctica . Antigua & Barbuda . Argentina . Armenia . Aruba . Australia . Austria . Azerbaijan . Bahamas . Bahrain . Bangladesh . Barbados . Belarus . Belgium . Belize . Benin . Bermuda . Bhutan . Bolivia . Bonaire . Bosnia-Herzegovina . Botswana . Brazil . British Virgin Islands . Brunei Darrusalam . Bulgaria . Burkina Faso . Burundi . Cambodia . Cameroon . Cape Verde . Cayman Islands . Central African Republic . Chad . Channel Islands . Chile . China . Christmas Island . Colombia . Comoros . Congo . Congo (Dem. Rep.) . Cook Islands . Costa Rica . Côte d'Ivoire . Croatia . Cuba . Curacao . Cyprus . Czech Republic . Denmark . Djibouti . Dominica . Dominican Republic . East Timor . Ecuador . Egypt . El Salvador . Equatorial Guinea . Eritrea . Estonia . Ethiopia . Falkland Islands and Dependencies . Faroe Islands . Fiji . Finland . France . French Guiana . French Polynesia . Gabon . Gambia . Gaza . Georgia . Germany . Ghana . Gibraltar . Greece . Greenland . Grenada . Guadeloupe . Guam . Guatemala . Guinea . Guinea-Bissau . Guyana . Haiti . Hawaiian Islands . Honduras . Hong Kong . Hungary . Iceland . India . Indonesia . Iran . Iraq . Isle Of Man . Israel . Italy . Ivory Coast . Jamaica . Japan . Johnston Atoll . Jordan . Kazakhstan . Kenya . Kiribati . Korea (North) . Korea (South) . Kuwait . Kyrgyzstan . Laos . Latvia . Lebanon . Leeward Islands . Lesotho . Liberia . Libya . Liechtenstein . Lithuania . Luxembourg . Macau . Macedonia . Madagascar . Malawi . Malaysia . Maldives . Mali . Malta . Marshall Islands . Martinique . Mauritania . Mauritius . Mexico . Micronesia (Federated States) . Midway Islands . Moldova . Monaco . Mongolia . Montserrat . Morocco . Mosquito Coast . Mozambique . Myanmar (Burma) . Namibia . Nauru . Navassa Island . Nepal . Netherlands . Netherlands Antilles . New Caledonia . New Zealand . Nicaragua . Niger . Nigeria . Niue . Norfolk Island . Northern Mariana Islands . Norway . Oman . Pakistan . Palau . Palestine . Panama . Papua New Guinea . Paracel Islands . Paraguay . Peru . Philippines . Pitcairn Islands . Poland . Portugal . Puerto Rico . Qatar . Reunion . Romania . Russia . Rwanda . Ryukyu Islands . Saint Helena . Saint Kitts and Nevis . Saint Lucia . Saint Pierre & Miquelon . Saint Vincent & The Grenadines . Samoa . San Marino . São Tom?& Príncipe . Saudi Arabia . Senegal . Serbia . Seychelles . Sierra Leone . Singapore . Slovakia . Slovenia . Solomon Islands . Somalia . South Africa . Spain . Sri Lanka . Sudan . Suriname . Swaziland . Sweden . Switzerland . Syria . Taiwan . Tajikistan . Tanzania . Thailand . Togo . Tonga . Transkei . Trinidad & Tobago . Tunisia . Turkey . Turkmenistan . Turks and Caicos Islands . Tuvalu . US Virgin Islands . Uganda . Ukraine . United Arab Emirates . Upper Volta . Uruguay . Uzbekistan . Vanuatu . Vatican City (Holy See) . Venezuela . Vietnam . Wake Island . Windward Islands . Yemen . Yugoslavia . Zaire . Zambia . Zimbabwe

Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Template Design by Larry Lim | Internet Marketing