They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That may very well apply to your dog’s joint health as well, but what does this even mean? In a nutshell, it means a little effort up front may help prevent bigger issues down the road. As an example, repeatedly eating refined carbohydrates and sugar leads to diabetes as we age. However, a change in diet earlier in life can help prevent this debilitating condition as we get older.
When it comes to proactive joint care for dogs, there are a couple ways to address it. Supplements can be beneficial. However, that mainly focuses on the nutritional component of joint health (if you’re looking for a comprehensive joint supplement, Wuffes has a great ingredient panel). What about the physical component of joint health? That’s where chiropractic comes in.
Sustained pressure on joints leads to wear and tear, and possibly even arthritis down the road. Think of your spine like the foundation of the house. If the foundation is off, you’re going to find issues in the walls, the ceilings, the flooring, etc. However, if you address the underlying primary issue - most of your secondary issues are resolved or can be repaired.
Chiropractic takes the same approach when it comes to joint health. We are like the engineer searching for issues within the foundation of a home. When we find problems, we address them using a unique tool - the adjustment.
The adjustment is a low force, specific correction to joints that aren’t moving as they should. Restoring normal joint motion allows them to pump inflammation away, remove pressure on joint surfaces that can wear them down, and reduce pain. It may even reduce the risk of arthritis as dogs age. A study was conducted on this topic recently. The research evaluated two groups. One group received adjustments periodically while the other did not. There was more arthritis in the group that wasn’t adjusted as they aged.
Clinically, we’ve seen tons of dogs age much better as a result of being adjusted from an earlier age. The nice thing about proactive care is that it doesn’t need to be done too regularly. As a matter of fact, most young dogs are seen maybe 2-3 times a year. The other nice thing about proactive care is that it may address things your dog can’t communicate to us. Dogs are stoic and often don’t show symptoms until they’ve been developing a while.
Looking to find a board certified chiropractic after reading this. You can visit ivca.de or animalchiropractic.org and use the “find a doctor” feature to find someone near you!