ANIMAL ALIGNMENT CHIROPRACTOR HELPS PEOPLE, PETS.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - Some of chiropractor Tracy Andres' new patients, wracked with pain and skeptical of strangers, have been known to growl.

But then Andres places her knowing hands on their crooked spines and out-of-joint bones, and the friendship begins.

``I treat people, of course, but when I was in school I was the ultimate animal lover,'' said Andres, founder of Circle of Life Chiropractic. ``Equines, canines, reptiles, humans - the structures are very similar and my hands have become very sensitive. I can usually tell what's going on with the body.''

Soon after opening her Soledad Canyon Road practice three years ago, word began to spread that the tall doctor with the gentle nature was able to help entire families with back, neck and spine problems - including beloved horses, dogs and even snakes.

``I'd say my practice is about 50-50 now'' divided between humans and animals, said Andres, who graduated from Canyon High in 1987 and lives in Leona Valley.

The photos on an exam room wall provide a glimpse of the diverse species Andres counts among her patients. But it was a first for the doctor last October when Gini arrived in bad shape.

``Gini was my first opossum. But I've learned so much about them since our first meeting,'' Andres said as she treated the docile marsupial Thursday for a misaligned spine most likely caused by an enlarged tail.

Three-year-old Gini lives and works at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall, where her friendly manner landed her a starring role in the center's outreach programs. She has befriended hundreds of children during her tenure.

When Gini's keepers first brought her to see Andres, the animal had the use of just her front legs; her hind legs dragged under her, her upturned feet rubbing themselves raw under her body.

After Andres probed the critter's body and adjusted some misaligned vertebra, Gini clasped the hem of the doctor's pants and began to lick her shoe.

``Oh, Gini adores her,'' said Heidi Webber, a docent at the nature center who has cared for the opossum since birth. ``(Andres) just gets in there with her thumbs and just knows how to make it better. When (Gini) sees the doctor, she just climbs right up on her lap.''

Andres refers to many of her animal cases as ``little miracles,'' because pet owners, given little hope at the veterinarian's office, have come through her door in a panic, fearing the worst.

Enter the python, who was rushed over by its owner when the snake became paralyzed. After some inspection, Andres realized the reptile's first cervical vertebra was dislodged.

It turned out that the snake's dinner, a live rabbit, had put up a fight and managed a stiff kick on its way down that dark road known as digestion.

Siam Lim, who first utilized Andres' services for her dog Dylan, a 8-year-old Japanese chin, and later became a patient herself, said the doctor's healing skills are gifts.

``Dylan was always a jumper, he'd jump in your arms when you got home,'' Lim said. ``One day, he squealed like someone had knifed him. At the vet, they were talking about MRIs and back fusion costing thousands of dollars. I brought him to Dr. Tracy. Now, you'd never know there was anything wrong with him.''

Valencia resident Karen von Strebel was in a similar situation three weeks ago when her two dogs collided while running down the stairs. The 60-pound pit bull was fine, but Jack Henry, the actress's basenji/pit bull mix, was in terrible pain.

``He was screaming. Not barking, literally screaming,'' von Strebel said. ``The vet told us Jack could either have surgery that might not work, or he can be on painkillers the rest of his life.''

Von Strebel went with option No. 3.

After Jack Henry's first meeting with Andres - during which she adjusted the dog's out-of-socket left hip and dislodged vertebra - the pooch, generally very wary of strangers, rolled over and beckoned the doctor to rub his belly.

``The vertebra were really torqued to the left side,'' Andres said. ``Now we're working on the muscle spasms. Usually, after I do the first adjustment, (the animals) realize that the pain feels better.

``It's the best job. I really care for each one of my people and critters. I find it very rewarding to see the results.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Chiropractor Tracy Andres helps Jack recover from a collision with another pooch, and a resulting dislocated hip and dislodged vertebra.

(2) Jack is feeling oh-so-cool after a back treatment.

(3) Eight-year-old Dylan is a jumper again after treatment for back problems.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer