I had planned to write a slightly humorous post about how Caleb, our horse with a limp, has introduced me to alternative treatments, to which I, as an allopathic physician, normally don’t give much credit. However, recent clinical developments have made me write with a seriousness I had not intended.
The first veterinarian we took our horse to diagnosed bilateral knee problems. The treatment included steroid injections to both knee joints, which was costly but ineffective. Emma enlisted the help of a couple of alternative practitioners and designed a rehabilitation program, which started with Caleb walking over sticks in the indoor ring, while looking for treats we scatter all around, and now consists of him being led up and down hills and through tall grass while grazing, so he doesn’t feel like he is working.
Two days in a row Caleb walked normally, with no sign of a limp; he took out his full stride, albeit a little gingerly, with his right hind leg, and completely normally with the left one. After a while he became tired, and started to limp just a little.
Thus we know that the horse doesn’t have stiff joints, muscle contractures or permanent misalignment of his pelvis; he has sciatica. The horse chiropractor, , acupuncturist, SHEN practitioner, masseuse, the Bach Flower Essences, craniosacral therapy, yucca, glucosamine and the cautious exercise have already started helping – physically and emotionally.
If my patients only knew…
A Country Doctor Writes: 
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