The neck, shoulders, hips or back of the mule may need work. A short rapid thrust is applied to the subluxation to return it to the normal alignment. If you have visited a chiropractor yourself, you are familiar with this feeling of relief and generally you can see it in your mule's eyes as things begin to fit back into place. Recovery Recovery takes time as we are allowing the body to heal itself after the adjustment allows the proper functioning of the nervous system to stimulate healing. Generally, recovery is quick, but there are some factors which may affect the recovery time.
Speedy recovery depends on a number of things.
If the problem has persisted for any length of time, the recovery may take longer because, not only has the pain been present for a while, but also the compensation behaviors developed by the mule to cope with the pain have also been present. It may take awhile for him to realize that he does not have to drop a shoulder to avoid the pain that has been there for some time. Once he realizes things are working again, he will gradually quit engaging in avoidance behavior. But that realization may take a transition period. Of course, older animals heal slower than the younger ones.