What do these words mean in relation to your animal?
Unfortunately terminology like "Misaligned, Out, Popped, Subluxation" are all incorrectly used when describing musculoskeletal issues within animals. Skeletal joints are strong and supported by ligaments and tendon to withstand a range of concussive forces over different terrain at speed.
Chiropractic adjustments from my perspective are performed because of RESTRICTIONS between each vertebra. These restrictions occur when the muscles and tendons are in a neuromuscular contraction loop often referred to as a Gamma Loop Dysfunction.
How does this happen?
There are many causes for restrictions between vertebrae:
* Trauma
* Conformation weaknesses
* Terrain
* Disease, injury, pain
* Ill fitting tack
* Rider and handler asymmetry
* Biomechanics
The body's survival instinct is to protect and weakened area by stimulating the neuromuscular spindle and Golgi tendon spindle. This protective response by the animal's body prevents the vertebral joints from overextending leading to further injury. However during this process the animal will adapt a different body position to protect further damage, creating an imbalance in the signal to contract and relax the muscles and tendons
Each chiropractic adjustment is targeted to release the neurological restrictions allowing each vertebral joint to return to its optimal range of motion. Vertebral joint range of motion is palpated before and after each adjustment.