ACA board member Michael Welker, DC, is a dedicated healthcare practitioner in his community of Butte, Mont. In addition to caring for patients in his integrative practice, Dr. Welker is an advocate for animal chiropractic and has built a career that includes improving the health and mobility of local animals through chiropractic care. In this interview, the ACA Blog explores how his journey began and how his passion for animal care has guided him and the creation of the ACA Animal Chiropractic Interest Group.
Q: How long have you been practicing animal chiropractic? How did you first become interested in treating animals?
I have been treating horses for 29 years. Interestingly, when I graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University, I didn’t even know that animal chiropractic was an option. That changed when one of my patients asked if I’d be willing to take a look at his horse. I said yes, and the rest is history.
Q: What was the learning curve like? Were there challenges you did not anticipate?
At first, I treated animals without any formal training. As I began to see both the need and the growing demand for animal chiropractic care, I started looking into additional education to expand my skills. One of the biggest challenges at the time was gaining acceptance within the veterinary community. While animal chiropractic had been around for some time, it was just beginning to gain traction and wasn’t widely accepted yet, which made the learning curve steeper than I initially anticipated.
Q: What are the education requirements for animal chiropractors? Do they vary from state to state?
The educational process for chiropractic physicians and veterinarians to become certified in animal chiropractic is consistent across the board. However, what does vary is the scope of practice from state to state. Each state has its own regulations regarding what animal chiropractic practitioners are permitted to do, making it important to understand the specific requirements where you practice.
Q: What inspired the creation of ACA’s Animal Chiropractic Interest Group?
The creation of the ACA Animal Chiropractic Interest Group was driven by a need for greater awareness and acknowledgment of this specialty within the profession. Many chiropractic physicians who practice animal chiropractic have, at times, felt isolated in their work. This interest group provides additional space for those practitioners to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge with their peers, ultimately fostering a stronger sense of community and support within the field.
Q: What do you believe the public and/or the chiropractic profession should know about animal chiropractic?
The public should know there are certificate programs and appropriate training that professionals go through to treat animals. These can be professionals in both the veterinary or chiropractic fields. When looking for care for your animal, it would be beneficial for the public to learn more about those practicing animal care to see if they have gone through these programs/trainings.
Q: What opportunities do you see for growth and advancement within the animal chiropractic specialty?
There will always be a need for animal chiropractic, largely because it is driven by pet owners themselves. Many owners are actively seeking alternative approaches to caring for their animals beyond the traditional allopathic model. Animal chiropractic helps meet that demand by offering a complementary option for improving animal health and well-being.
Q: Is there any additional information you would like to share about this specialty or why ACA members might want to consider joining the Animal Chiropractic Interest Group?
For meaningful changes in scope of practice to occur at the state level, the effort must be physician-driven from within the profession. Increasing the number of Certified Animal Practitioners in each state strengthens the collective voice needed to advocate for updates to rules and regulations. By joining the Animal Chiropractic Interest Group, ACA members have the opportunity to be a part of that movement, connecting with like-minded colleagues, sharing knowledge, and helping shape the future of the specialty. Lasting progress depends on active involvement, and together, practitioners can build a more supportive and sustainable environment for animal chiropractic.
ACA members interested in joining the Animal Chiropractic Interest Group can contact [email protected].
