VETERINARY MEDICAL MANIPULATION (VMM) VMM is a manual therapy for animals performed by a trained and certied veterinarian, similar to human chiropractic care. Animals with restrictions requiring VMM may show a variety of symptoms including pain, weakness, nerve degeneration, behavioural problems, skin problems, stiffness, lameness, abnormal posture and gait, and poor performance. VMM involves using non-invasive, hands-on adjustments to correct joint restrictions in the spine and limbs. This helps restore normal range of motion, relieves pain, relaxes muscles, and improves nerve function, blood supply and lymph drainage. Restrictions of joint movement can occur for a variety of reasons. It can occur quickly after a traumatic injury, or it can be chronic due to compensatory movement for a problem elsewhere e.g. osteoarthritis, or due to a particular activity which leads to unbalanced motion e.g. constantly running in the same circular direction. Whatever the cause, restrictions are extremely common and can lead to wide array of consequences such as those mentioned above as well as joint degeneration, and increased risk of injury due to abnormal movements. Restrictions are diagnosed by “motion palpation”. Once identied they can be corrected by a very specic movement. Manipulations involve gentle motion and sometimes a specic, directed thrust along the plane of the joint. The treatments are subtle but effective. Most animals are not even aware they are being treated but feel much relief afterwards. Animals that are more at risk for restrictions include older patients, working dogs, extremely active/adventurous animals, obese animals, and animals with co-morbidities affecting movement e.g. osteoarthritis or amputees. How it works l Normalizes joint movement: By correcting restricted motion, VMM ensures that joints, specically the cartilage, receive the proper blood and nutrient ow they need to stay healthy. l Relieves nerve impingement: Restrictions in the spine can affect the spinal nerves. VMM helps to relieve this pressure, which can lead to improved nerve function and reduced pain or dysfunction in other parts of the body. l Improves overall health: Restoring proper joint and nerve function can lead to a wide range of benets, including reduced pain, better performance, and an improved immune system response specically by helping the sympathetic nervous system (our ght or ight control). How often? This very much depends on the patient's condition, chronicity of the condition and if there are any other conditions. Some animals may benet from a single treatment. Others may need a course of treatments. And yet others may need VMM regularly.