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Poor Loki


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Not unlikely at all!! Chiropractic is a very well documented science, yes, actual *medicine* that is far from the "woo-woo" many believe it to be. I am not talking about a simple manipulation that instantaneously reverses all problems...the process of demineralization takes time. The body didn't break down to reach its current state of *chronic disease* in 5 minutes, did it? Several adjustments and months are needed to restore health.

 

Smal, I don't know what you are talking about in your last sentence with regard to how mineralized tissue looks different on rads. Food for thought...how many dogs or humans have you seen at surgery or on necropsy with a SECOND column of solid bone lying under the spine? Bones don't just keep growing at their ends, instead they have cartilage caps and ligaments that can change and stiffen as needed. The anatomical structure that lives under the spine, the one that connects each vertebra to its neighbor and therefore shows up as the "bridging" structure on radiographs, is the ventral longitudinal *ligament*. It normally does not show up on radiographs because in its healthy state it does not contain enough calcium to be radiopaque. When it becomes mineralized in an effort to support the spine, *then* you see it appear on rads.

 

One reason I hesitate to post on forums anymore: closed mindedness. If I am suggesting something that is safe and effective but you disagree, OK, but please don't disparage my professional training and experience. Do some more research or simply scroll on without implying I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

And, yes, I work in veterinary healthcare (as a vet) and I have seen spondylosis reversed on radiographs. Lots of people have. And lots of dogs feel better for it.

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I'm not a believer in chiropractic, although I've found massage to be very helpful. I did have a chiropractor work on my old dog with spondylosis and I thought that it made my dog worse. And her back was screaming hot afterwards for days. Never again.

 

I am a huge believer in rehab, conditioning, and strengthening. It's just like people, you have to build the abdominals to support and stabilize the back. Conditioning, strengthening, and therapeutic massage to break the muscle spasms and release the fascia kept my old dog going for years.

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Sorry to hear that, Blackdawgs. It's too bad the chiropractor didn't explain to you that it can make them worse in the interim because it uncovers problems that may had been masked. For instance, if my left knee has been injured, I may compensate by shifting more weight onto my right side, and over time my right side will hurt and may even be more painful than the original injury. When my chiropractor adjusts me and corrects this compensatory gait, I may remember that oh yeah, there *was* pain in my left knee all along, I simply forgot about it because I was focused on the other pain. Same thing for the different areas of the back. That is why we believe in a multi-modal approach to pain: adjustments, pain medications, ice, heat, massage, laser, acupuncture. But no, routine adjustments don't hurt, they actually release endorphins. A couple of my dogs nearly fall asleep during their adjustments, and I've had many patients sleep soundly afterwards OR show lots of interest in play or other activities that they hadn't done in a long time. For myself, I instantly feel so much better

 

Also worth mentioning that there are skilled chiros and those posing as them, so one experience may have not been positive, but that doesn't mean that all chiropractic is that way. For anyone interested, there are two certifying organizations (after chiro school) where you must pass written and practical exams and also maintain chiro-specific continuing education: the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association.

 

Sorry for the hijack, I'll be done now. Simply trying to offer some options for chronic pain.

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I just performed a quick medline search using the terms "spondylosis and chiropractic" and "spondylosis and manipulation" and did not see evidence that chiropractic reverses spondylosis. It is certainly possible that I used the wrong search terms or missed something....so can you point us in the direction of evidence in the scientific, peer reviewed literature that supports your assertion? Thank you

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I am not ignoring your requests, but I genuinely do not have time to look for that right now. My chiro references are at home and I am on the road helping prepare for a dog trial in a different state. I would like to revisit this sometime, but unfortunately now I can't make that happen. Thanks for asking

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For now I leave you with this thought: osteoporosis (bones becoming weaker from demineralization). The body is dynamic and very capable of changing itself to adjust to its environment. Parts that are used more grow and become stronger (ex arm muscles from lifting weights, heart from doing cardio). Parts that are used less become smaller and weaker (ex leg muscles after being on extended bed rest, bones in elderly people who have limited activity). I can't provide you sources this second but there are a few concepts to consider.

 

Allopathic vs vitalistic philosophies of medicine. I practice both.

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I would seriously like to see a citation for the claim that chiropractic can reverse spondylosis. If this is true it should be easy enough to demonstrate with a double blinded randomized controlled trial published in a reputable journal.

I have no clue if such a citation exists but you may want to look at sciencebasedmedicine.org My husband and I are also listeners of Skeptics Guide to the Universe which is a great podcast, their site is also searchable. They have done episodes on chiropractic work.

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It is well known that bone modeling/remodeling is a very dynamic process that is under extremely complex control. Osteoporosis is pathologic-the rate of bone resorption is faster than bone formation and is irreversible although drugs can modulate and slow the progression.

 

The issue is whether chiropractic adjustments affect these processes.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Loki's surgery consult was brief and to the point. Speciality surgeon recommends a neurology appointment and MRI. Concerned that he may have another congenitial neurological issue besides the obvious severe spondylosis. Sadly, ISU just lost their neurologist and its nearly a thousand more for an MRI in kansas. I'm a veterinary technician, which is a fancy way of saying I am poor and can't afford the care my own pets deserve despite working in vet med.

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