Mctimoney versus physio

[Fluffypiglet]

I'm a bit confused about the best person to use and the difference between the two options and would be grateful for any help.
The background: I'm trying to keep my horse well and fit by giving him reasonably regular treatment with a view to helping him maintain as much straightness and wellness as I can. He has some hock arthritis and a longstanding weakness in his R hind. Vet ix done (scans, x-rays and hock injections) and he's essentially fine for our low level of general riding club type work. He has seen the Mctimoney person once (pre hock tx) and was quite sore for several days after. She recommended further tx post hock injections and it's been a couple of months between appointments. However i now have the opportunity to use a physio who is closer and can do better appointment times. Is there a significant difference between the two types of treatment in our circumstances? Thanks ?

 

[Trouper]

Physio for me as they seem to do more muscle work and I think it is this which keeps everything ticking over properly.

 

[VioletStripe]

I personally prefer physio for the above reason. Am I right in thinking the focus is more on the spine with Chiro as well?

I have always used a fully chartered physio and found them to be fantastic, but I think it will depend on the person and the horse. Much like with humans seeking treatment! Maybe it's worth seeing the physio and seeing how they get on with your horse?

 

[AmyMay]

Physio every time

 

[canteron]

To me it depends on the practitioner! I have had brilliant physios and rather useless ones, great McTimoney and indifferent McTimoney. I would try the physio and if you like her use her.

I also think they all have slightly different skills they are brilliant at, can you mix and match?

 

[Fluffypiglet]

To me it depends on the practitioner! I have had brilliant physios and rather useless ones, great McTimoney and indifferent McTimoney. I would try the physio and if you like her use her.

I also think they all have slightly different skills they are brilliant at, can you mix and match?

In theory yes I could but I'm not sure that much therapy is needed. I can't totally understand the difference and didn't know if I am being thick! I know there is a difference but I'm not sure in what way that impacts my horse. The mctimoney was very good but I was surprised at how intensive it was and the lingering impact was more than I liked. Last time he saw a physio (a different one to the new one) it didn't feel like it did much. That said, he didn't have any pain from his hocks back when he had physio so probably wasn't so sore so likely an unfair comparison. The new physio has treated several others on my yard so is well thought of. I just didn't know if one is 'better' than the other but interesting that everyone has said physio so far! Thanks for the replies ?

 

[dogatemysalad]

Physio every time. Not a vet physio, but a chartered physio.
I never understand why people use alternatives for the same amount of money.

 

[Goldenstar]

Physio , that’s an very easy choice .

 

[PurBee]

Mctimoney style of chiro is different than ‘standard’ chiro. I had both done on myself. Mctimony doesnt do the harsh ‘popping’ of joints, yanking of limbs like standard chiro - instead one hand is placed on the bone, and the other hand knocks the 1st hand, gentle re-aligning bones.

Great for spine and ribs. id get sore muscles afterwards in my back due to muscles sitting unevenly due to wonky ribs/hips etc.....so the treatment itself is less painful, yet still go through muscle aches due to realignment of bones, so muscles have to adjust.

so maybe its wise to get the mctimoney oerson in first, then have a physio in on day 3 after 1st treatment to help the muscles.

Are there practitioners that do both chiro and physio in one session? That would be best.

 

[fankino04]

And this is why I'm missing my fab physio for the dog so much at the moment ( she's broke her hand), I call her a physio but she lists herself as a muscular skeletal specialist, essentially she has done a massive amount of training in both chiro and physio techniques so can tailor her approach to the patient. I find ( for me personally being treated) a chiro often makes quick alignment fixes and focuses on bones and joints but without warning up / relaxing the muscles around the joints first that can cause spasms and pain in itself, however sometimes physio s release the muscle tension but don't always get the alignment part quite right. This is why I'm struggling to pick a new one at the moment, it's a total minefield.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Mctimoney style of chiro is different than ‘standard’ chiro. I had both done on myself. Mctimony doesnt do the harsh ‘popping’ of joints, yanking of limbs like standard chiro - instead one hand is placed on the bone, and the other hand knocks the 1st hand, gentle re-aligning bones.

Great for spine and ribs. id get sore muscles afterwards in my back due to muscles sitting unevenly due to wonky ribs/hips etc.....so the treatment itself is less painful, yet still go through muscle aches due to realignment of bones, so muscles have to adjust.

so maybe its wise to get the mctimoney oerson in first, then have a physio in on day 3 after 1st treatment to help the muscles.

Are there practitioners that do both chiro and physio in one session? That would be best.

Interesting. I thought mctimoney was gentle but I was shocked by how sore he was after. But he is a delicate flower who doesn't know what stoic means! If it's sore he definitely tells everyone all about it and he would have been holding himself badly because of his hock soreness. I used mctimoney because I'd picked up some soreness in his ribs/ back on one side. It hadn't occurred to me to use both! ??.

 

[chaps89]

Personally I only ever noticed a difference (a positive one) in my mare after mctimoney treatment, I never really noticed any difference in her post physio. Both practitioners were well regarded, and tbh I just rotated between the two as I figured it wasn't going to hurt her - they were both aware and happy with this approach too.

 

[TPO]

Interesting. I thought mctimoney was gentle but I was shocked by how sore he was after. But he is a delicate flower who doesn't know what stoic means! If it's sore he definitely tells everyone all about it and he would have been holding himself badly because of his hock soreness. I used mctimoney because I'd picked up some soreness in his ribs/ back on one side. It hadn't occurred to me to use both!

Generally speaking the more there was that needed treated the higher thebxhane of being slightly sore after.

McT-C/chiro people think bones but you cant move equine bones. It is adjustments of the skeletal muscles that hold the bones.

It is the muscles that hold the skeleton out of alignment. The more out of alignment a horse is the more adjustments that are required.

There is a good book, "where does my horse hurt", that explains the differences between different therapies. Although I still cant figure out the differences between a chiro and osteo for human or animal!

The physio sounds like they would suit you better re appointment times etc so theres no harm in trying them. If they arent for you theres nothing stopping you going back to the McT-C therapist

 

[sbloom]

To me it depends on the practitioner! I have had brilliant physios and rather useless ones, great McTimoney and indifferent McTimoney. I would try the physio and if you like her use her.

I also think they all have slightly different skills they are brilliant at, can you mix and match?

This, use whichever one seems more effective but also that it can be ideal to have two different modalities to treat your horse, one looking at the skeleton and one soft tissue. However the most important thing to also take into consideration is will they look at the horse holistically? Seeing as "the vast majority" (according to Horses Inside Out) of injuries are from repetitive strain injury, simply easing the symptoms and not looking at the causes (eg posture, feet, habits) will only get you so far.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

This, use whichever one seems more effective but also that it can be ideal to have two different modalities to treat your horse, one looking at the skeleton and one soft tissue. However the most important thing to also take into consideration is will they look at the horse holistically? Seeing as "the vast majority" (according to Horses Inside Out) of injuries are from repetitive strain injury, simply easing the symptoms and not looking at the causes (eg posture, feet, habits) will only get you so far.

The Mctimoney definitely considers him holistically and is linking in with my vet about another issue he has so she can help him as much as possible. He does have some issues and will always have but I'm happy to work with him on those by reducing work as required and all this aims at keeping him as well as he can be. I guess him being sore after would relate to him being sore but coping before the treatment. He was holding himself to cope with sore hocks and she tweaked those bits that were tight. I think both is a good call. I'll carry on with the next appt with mctimoney and pop a physio appointment in a week or so after (depending on how long he takes to feel better).

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Mctimoney is indeed gentle, I have it regularly for myself and have done for years. First time I went I was warned I would feel very tired afterwards and that was very true, also sore. They don't seem to do much but it does have a profound effect, some are much better than others.

 

[spotty_pony]

I've always used a chiropractor for mine. Mine does sports massage too.

 

[EASTIE17]

My own personal opinion is that the chiro stuff is black magic, there's no real science behind it and when people say "his pelvis is out" and I've realigned it I have to laugh. However I am a believer that whatever you think works for your horse is your business.
Physio has more science behind it and makes more logical sense to me.
However, as others have said it also depends on who you get, much like vets there are good ones and not so good ones so I'd suggest if unclear explain to them that you dont know what its all about and ask as basic questions as you need to. if they are good they shouldn't have any issue answering them and the answers should make sense to you. If they don't, ask again until you are satisfied.
Many say after chiro treatment the animal goes better and who am I to say otherwise but it makes no sense to me.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Having had regular McTimoney treatment myself I can confirm it works. Have had a horse treated also and it worked for him too.

 

[GrassChop]

As a side note, is an osteopath better than a physio? I always understood that it was essentially physio as well as chiro.

 

[V&F]

As a side note, is an osteopath better than a physio? I always understood that it was essentially physio as well as chiro.

I also wondered this, i have an Osteo for my boy every 4-5 Months but have wondered if thats the right choice.

Also there's massage therapists, i tend to do a yearly visit for that. I'm not sure if they are more muscular though?

 

[sbloom]

As a side note, is an osteopath better than a physio? I always understood that it was essentially physio as well as chiro.

Not really, they're arguably the most holistic of the main modalities, but then someone who practices many different modalities may be even more holistic. What is an osteo (human)? https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/visiting-an-osteopath/about-osteopathy/

There are also the vets that convert to/add on chiro or osteopathy, if chiro was, as said above, black magic, it wouldn't be something vets would consider studying!

There is basically soft tissue treatment and skeletal treatment, the latter mainly chiro and osteo, the former much more diverse. Myofascial release therapies are perhaps the most interesting.

I believe that quine osteopaths have completed this course https://www.eso.ac.uk/postgraduate/animal-osteopathy/about-animal-osteopathy/, there is similar beef between human osteos who have then added equine courses and are proud of being a "proper" osteopath, and pure equine osteopaths, as there is between ACPAT and Vet physios.

The RAMP classifications are causing some tensions.

 

[ponios]

For years I have used a reputable vet physio and been very happy. I then tried a McTim lady who was treating on the yard that my horse was holiday 'liverying' at and I was impressed by improvement in the school. I now use both and they are both happy with that set up. I find that they compliment each other. Recently one of my horses wasn't quite right behind- not lame but just not moving as well as I knew he could, the physio saw him first and did a treatment and we saw a bit of improvement and then about 4 days later the McTim lady saw him and there was a vast improvement. We think he slipped in the field so needed straightening up.

I had previously been quite skeptical of McTim and felt much more comfortable with the more science/evidence based theory of vet physio but in last two years of using both I have been really pleased. The physio sees youngish/ growing competition horse every 8 weeks, happy hacker every 16 weeks. McTim lady sees horses them every 12 weeks but sometimes the happy hacker does not need much treating/skips a session.

The way I see it is physio sorts soft tissue and Mctim does skeletal so why choose one over the other.