Get to know Dr. James Simpson, Jr.

Complementary Medicine

Complementary or alternative medicine is being increasingly used in conjunction with conventional western medicine in the human and veterinary fields. At Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery, we use chiropractic care and acupuncture with the western medicine you are familiar with to produce a desirable outcome in the health of your horse. It is a process of taking two different views of possible treatment plans for your horse and using the strengths and weaknesses of each one to our advantage.

Acupuncture in the horse began thousands of years ago in China. Valuable farm animals were treated using stone needles to acupoints transposed from human points. Today, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturists (CVA) use modern steel needles, transposed human points and ancient equine acupoints found in a few surviving texts. This combination allows the CVA a wide range of points to select for treatment using dry needle, electrical acupuncture or aqua puncture. Through modern research we now know that acupuncture works through the nervous system, endocrine system and the immune system to balance the body’s organ system to achieve wellness.

Modern chiropractic technique is purely an American invention. O. D. Palmer of Canada founded the Palmer School of Chiropractics in Iowa in 1897. In 1980, formal chiropractic training for veterinarians began with Sharon Willoughby, DVM, DC. Her program was based on human chiropractic technique, which later evolved into the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. A true chiropractic adjustment is a precise, low amplitude, high velocity thrust with only the hands on a specific area of the spine.

Chiropractic and acupuncture can be used to treat musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders as well as internal medicine disorders. These treatment modalities are safe and effective when performed by a formally trained and certified veterinarian.

- by Dr. James Simpson