Veterinary orthomanual medicine

Veterinary orthomanual medicine is a field in veterinary medicine relating to treating vertebral and joint misalignments in companion animals. Orthomanipulation (literally: ‘working with the hands in the right way’) is the manipulative therapy technique that is used in the orthomanual treatment.
Veterinary orthomanual medicine is practiced by licenced veterinarians who have successfully completed the additional two to three year orthomanual medicine training.
Origins
The foundation of orthomanual medicine was laid in 1965 by a Dutch physician, who discovered that symptoms of the musculoskeletal system are associated with very small, correctable misalignments of the pelvis and spine. She developed a method for the effective treatment of these misalignments and symptoms. Dorit Aharon, a veterinary surgeon, completed the Orthomanual Medicine training in 2001, and adapted the orthomanipulation techniques for use in the veterinary field, establishing the Aharon Method.
Principles of orthomanual medicine
The focus of orthomanual medicine is on normal positions of components of the skeleton and symmetry in the spine. A misalignment of skeletal components can cause loss of function, movement limitations and pain.
The method of treatment is to correct the misalignment, thereby relieving irritation and compression, and creating an environment that facilitates recovery.
Manipulative mobilization techniques (orthomanipulation) are applied by fixed protocols using a fast impulse (i.e. quick pressure). This force is applied on the abnormal positioned segment of the skeleton in the direction of the natural position or function. For example, lumbosacral instability is a common disease in dogs that causes lower back pain and in some cases, the cauda equina syndrome. A cause of this syndrome is a misalignment of the lumbosacral vertebrae. Cervical spondylomyelopathy, also known as Wobbler disease is a disease of the cervical vertebrae in large breed dogs, and can be caused by cervical instability with consequential vertebral misalignment. Veterinary orthomanual therapy is a causal treatment that aims to correct these misalignments.

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