Last month our doctors, Dr. Christensen and Dr. Kennedy attended AVCA’s ( American Veterinary Chiropractic Association ) Annual Conference, a three day event in Tucson, Arizona. The AVCA Annual conference is the largest event for AVCA members and AVCA certified doctors, often drawing more than 200 in attendance every year.
The AVCA annual conference is open to members: AVCA certified Doctors, prospective doctors as well as other professionals. Throughout the conference there are classes and labs for both large and small animals where doctors can earn hours for their recertification. During the conference, our doctors learned about advanced chiropractic methods, myofascial work on dogs and horses, hoof care, lameness and injuries, as well as related treatments for different sports.
When looking for a Chiropractor to adjust your pet, the most important aspect is making sure doctors are certified through the AVCA with their ACCC (Animal Chiropractic Certification Commission) certification. In order for one to be certified, they must be a Doctor of Chiropractic or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and meet all course and testing requirements of the ACCC and the AVCA. Even though they are certified, the learning doesn’t end there. Certified chiropractors are also required by their state laws to stay well informed on new and changing chiropractic practices and regulations in order to keep their certifications up to date. This ensures that animals of all kinds are receiving proper adjustments.
When performed correctly by a certified chiropractor, adjustments are noninvasive should have little to no adverse side effects or risk to the patient, and can help relieve pain and tension caused by subluxations throughout the body. However when done incorrectly, if the adjustment is done forcefully or at an incorrect angle, serious injury can occur and will more often than not lead to more pain than what the animal was originally being adjusted for.
The great news is that both our doctors are ACCC/AVCA certified and up to date with advanced chiropractic techniques and are open to accepting new clients in the Phoenix metro area. Please contact us at 602-603-7139 to get your furry friend scheduled for an adjustment.
If you are not in the Phoenix Metro area, check out this link to find an AVCA certified doctor near you!! https://www.animalchiropractic.org/find-a-doctor/
Written by Sara Barker
Our Doctors, Dr. Christensen and Dr. Kennedy at the AVCA Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona, November 2022