Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a paramedic disicpline that involves treatment of the human motionsystem.
It’s a protected profession, wich means you should have a diploma and be registered, before you get the title “physiotherapist”. Physiotherapy contains excersise therapy, massagetherapy and fysicaltherapy and is very common for treatment of various injuries. Dutch physiotherapy educations are known to be worlds best, after the Australian.

Animal physiotherapy
In 1992 the Dutch ministry of agriculture,forestry and fisheries approved this profession. Since that time, the profession has developed. Nowadays there are over 300 dutch animal physiotherapist, but to speak the truth, only 10-15 percent is actually working fulltime with animals. The skills of these dutch physiotherapists are on a very high level.

Education
To become an animal physiotherapist in Holland, you have to do 6 years of education. After 4 years of study about the human body, you have to complete your knowledge with 2 years of study about dogs and horses. After that, it’s also possible to specialize like I did (2 years chiropractic course).

Chiropractic

The word “chiropractic”, comes from the greek words ‘cheiros’ (hand) and ‘pratto’ (practise), so it means “practise with hands” and is a form of manual therapy. The founder of chiropractic is Daniel David Palmer (1895). His theory is based on Hippocrates (the father of human medicine), he believed that the origin of a lot of injuries and diseases, is found in the spine. The spine protects the spinal cord, that is part of the nervous system, together with the brain. This spinal cord has branches, called the nerves.
These nerves transport electronical impulses to the muscletissues and organs. A functional limitation of the spine, can cause a decrease of these impulses, so said Palmer. By treating the spineous problems, the tissues and organs can function properly.

In 2005 the World Health Organisation (WHO), cornfirmed that chiropractic is an effective treatment for diseases and injuries of muscles, joints and the nervous system.

Equine Chiropractic
In 2005 the Dutch international course "Focus on the Equine Spine"  (FES for short), was founded by my colleague Solange Schrijer, in cooperation with the famous American chiropractor drs Kevin Haussler. Only vets and animal physiotherapists are able to participate. End 2007 the first chiropracters graduated (including myself). Since that time equine chiropratic developed to a well known and high level profession, all over the world.