Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM)
Dr. Rachel Starr, of Pets and Their People, performs Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM). VOM is an alternative treatment option for arthritis, back pain, intervertebral disc disease, neurologic conditions, lameness, and more.
VOM is a form of spinal adjustment carried out with a handheld instrument called an activator. It puts a small impulse into each vertebrae to correct subluxation complex. In this way, it is similar to chiropractic. Subluxation complex occurs when there is inflammation in an area of the body, and the spinal nerve for pain and inflammation is activated. The pulse that the activator puts into the vertebrae corrects subluxation complex by firing the inhibitory nerve for the pain and inflammatory nerve. This inhibits pain, releases muscle spasm, and increases blood flow for healing.
VOM is diagnostic as well as therapeutic. Where there is inflammation, a “read” is registered when the activator is used on the vertebrae where the inflammation is present. The routine is carried out three times to look for changes in the read pattern. Certain medications (NSAIDS, glucosamine) may block the read pattern. The adjustment is still therapeutic, but no longer diagnostic.
VOM is carried out on a schedule as follows: The first adjustment is followed by an adjustment in a week. The time between each adjustment is increased by a week until they are four weeks apart. If the condition is severe, the veterinarian may recommend an adjustment three days after the first adjustment, then start the regular schedule. If the condition is chronic, like arthritis, the pet will probably require regular adjustments every four weeks for maintenance. If the condition is acute, we stop adjustments when we do not get any more reads.
Many times, we see improvements after only one adjustment. However, it may take up to three adjustments to see improvement. If we do not see improvement after 3 adjustments, we are not likely to see improvement with VOM alone. We therefore recommend doing three adjustments and then assessing whether or not to continue.
If you think that your pet can benefit from VOM, contact Pets and Their People today for more information. We are located in Traverse City, Michigan.