Better in Balance, LLC
Small and Large Animal Acupuncture, Equine Spinal Manipulation My name is Dr. Alanna Dadura and I am the business owner of Better in Balance.
I graduated Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in the spring of 2018. I started at a strictly equine general practice for 4 1/2 years after graduation. I have always been interested in Eastern Medicine, specifically acupuncture and spinal manipulation, so during my time at this practice, I became certified in mixed animal acupuncture as well as equine spinal manipulation. I feel strongl
08/05/2024
Congratulations to one of our patients, Nordic Catcher, who won the New Jersey Sire Stakes this past weekend! Awesome job!
08/03/2024
Amazing catch having a nice nap during his acupuncture treatment earlier this week. Getting ready for his big race in the Hambletonian today! Good luck!
07/10/2024
Meet Harley!
Harley’s owner came to me after he was tested and diagnosed for EPM back in May.
EPM or Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis is caused by a protozoa called Sarcocystis Neurona. This protozoa enters the horse’s body and then travels to the spinal cord and brain causing neurological signs such as mild to severe lameness, weakness, muscle atrophy and cranial nerve deficits to name a few.
After one treatment, Harley’s owner noticed a huge improvement.
“I rode Harley and holy crap what a change. He was chill, focused, not worried about everything happening outside the ring and wasn’t as stiff as he has been either. I 100% noticed a difference, I had my boy back.”
We are so happy Harley is already feeling better!
06/11/2024
Meet RT!
RT came to me last week for a right front lameness. He is headed to the world show and needed help ASAP! He did not show any specific areas that could be the issue. He was treated with magic cushion in that foot with no luck.
FUN FACT: if there is ever a mysterious front limb lameness and you cannot find a specific area in the limb that could be the issue, a majority of the time the lameness is affected by a restriction in the neck.
After two acupuncture and spinal manipulation treatments, RT is sound and off to the world show! Good luck!
03/23/2024
Hillookin is a 3 year old Standardbred gelding that came to me for back pain. The trainer was looking for additional therapies as he was not seeing quite the improvement he wanted with western medicine. Hillookin showed a lot of back soreness throughout his thoracolumbar and lumbosacral vertebrae. Electro-acupuncture was used in the lumbosacral area and dry needles were placed in the thoracolumbar area.
In the first picture you can see he is yawning which is a sign he is really enjoying the treatment! Stayed tuned for his progress!
*Posted with permission
03/09/2024
Global Crush enjoying some afternoon acupuncture before his race tomorrow! Good luck!
03/03/2024
Koda is a 3 year old male neutered German Shepard who herniated a disc about 4 weeks ago. He has been getting acupuncture treatments twice a week. He is no longer on steroids and his mobility and strength are significantly improving! Stay tuned on his progress!
02/27/2024
Congratulations to our client Eddie Sager on his win with Warrawee Xtreme and 2nd place with Global Crush! Both horses received their acupuncture treatments last week prior to their race. Awesome job!
Happy New Year everyone! Just a friendly reminder that as we enter the new year so does colder weather! As much as the cold weather stinks, it is especially hard on our older family members. A lot of our four legged friends with arthritis and joint soreness can benefit from acupuncture and herbal therapy. Call and/or text to schedule an appointment today!
12/26/2023
12/16/2023
Some of our standardbred racehorses getting acupuncture before their races tomorrow
(Posted with owner’s permission)
Adjusting T16 and T18 of the thoracic vertebrae as well as the left hip. After adjusting the hip, the mare displayed licking and chewing as well as yawning which are all positive responses to the adjustment.
Here I adjusted L4 and L5 of the lumbar vertebrae. A very common spot in a majority of horses.
Checking thoracic vertebrae, ribs, and adjusting the right hip
Checking lumbar and thoracic vertebrae
This is Ellie after her adjustment. It is subtle, but you can tell there is less of a hip hike on the left side. You can also see some improvement with her neck sway. While most horses respond well to their first adjustment, a huge improvement is usually seen after a few treatments.
Checking the sacrum
Checking the joints of the left distal limb
Checking all the joints in the distal limb. This mare really appreciated her shoulders being stretched. This type of adjustment is considered a "long lever" technique where the horse actually makes the adjustment. Once they pull away from you, that is the adjustment.
Manipulating C3, C4, and C5
In the first part of this video I am checking her hyoid bone, which runs between both mandibles of the jaw and is part of the larynx. This little bone can affect a horse's balance and may be one of the reasons they are "off". I am also checking the upper portion of her TMJ (temporomandibular joint).
This mare also had an injury to her poll when she was a baby. Because we are unsure if there was ever an actual fracture there, I opted to not adjust the area, but to massage it. You can tell that area is still very bothersome to her.
I also checked her cervical vertebrae where I manipulated C7.
Checking the right scapulohumeral joint.
Checking to see if C7 on the right needs an adjustment. Since C7 is located deep in the neck, you have to run you hand behind the muscle that is located on top of it. In most horses, this muscle is VERY tight and requires a lot of massage prior to the adjustment.
09/28/2023
Cedar is a 2 year old female spayed Black Labrador Retriever and my husband's hunting dog. Last fall she collapsed suddenly after a training session and could not use her hind legs. After multiple tests and diagnostic tests performed, they found a blood clot in her right hind leg, but unfortunately no explanation as to why this happened. After being diagnosed, I started doing dry needle acupuncture on her to help regain strength in her back legs. A few months after multiple treatments, she was out hunting with my husband. She is completely back to normal and planning to start hunting again this fall.
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Columbus, NJ
08022
Opening Hours
| Monday | 8am - 4:15pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 4pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 4pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 4pm |
| Friday | 8am - 4pm |
| Saturday | 8:15am - 12pm |
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