WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete healing system thousands of years old. TCM approaches each individual as an integrated whole by observing the relationships between the physical body, emotions, and external environment. Chinese medicine views disease as an imbalance by using different systems of diagnoses. Once the pattern(s) of disharmony are identified, the treatment principle can be applied. TCM theory states that a form of “universal life energy” known as Qi (pronounced “chee”) circulates throughout the body along specific pathways known as meridians. As long as this energy flows freely through the meridians, health is maintained; when the flow of energy is blocked or deficient, the system is disrupted, and pain and illness occur.

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Simply put, acupuncture is the insertion of very thin sterile disposable needles through the skin at specific points on the body. Acupuncture needles are solid and very flexible.

An acupuncturist can stimulate the needles either manually or through the application of heat, injecting a very small amount of sterile liquid such as vitamin B12 or electrical impulses to further activate Qi and bring on the benefits of the treatment. The acupuncture treatment is still doing work for a good two hours plus after the needles are removed. It is most beneficial to allow your animal to rest after the treatment. In most cases, normal activity can be resumed the following day.

If scheduling an exam with your veterinarian on the same day as your acupuncture appointment, it is preferable to see the veterinarian prior to the acupuncture treatment.

Each animal is unique, and therefore the treatment plan is individualized.

How quickly and fully the patient will respond to TCM depends on several factors, including the nature and severity of the disorder and the length of time it has existed. Age and constitution are other factors that determine the appropriate treatment plan and the rate of response. Improving and maintaining your pet’s quality of life is always the main focus of all treatments.

Acupuncture is both complementary and supportive to traditional western medicine and can treat a wide range of symptoms and diseases, including but not limited to:

  • Musculoskeletal: osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease, spondylosis, soft tissue injury, chronic tendon/ligament degeneration, muscle spasms
  • Gastrointestinal: Intestinal Bowel Disease, nausea and vomiting, esophagitis, intestinal motility issues, constipation/diarrhea, nausea/vomiting
  • Neurological: intervertebral disc disease type I and type II, degenerative myelopathy, old dog vestibular syndrome, facial paralysis, seizures, Horner’s syndrome
  • Urogenital: urinary tract infection, cystitis, incontinence, bladder stones
  • Respiratory: asthma, allergies, sinusitis, bronchitis, collapsing trachea
  • Endocrine Disorders: Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease, hypo and hyperthyroid.
  • Eye, ear, nose, and throat disorders: otitis, dry eye, sinusitis.
  • Supportive therapy for chronic diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, diabetes, degenerative myelopathy, chronic renal insufficiency, etc.
  • Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can also help minimize the need for medications with long-term side effects.

CHINESE HERBS AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Herbal medicine is one of the great strengths of TCM and remains a central part of its’ practice. As with acupuncture, the art and science behind it boast a history of thousands of years of refinement and cultivation. There are thousands of individual herbs, including plants, minerals, and even some insects. Formulas are created by combining herbs. Classic formulas have been used for thousands of years; they can also be combined and modified according to the animal’s unique presenting pattern and symptoms. Customized formulas for your pet may be called into a Chinese Herbal Pharmacy. In most cases, the herbs and or supplements combined with regular acupuncture treatments work synergistically to help improve your animal’s quality of life.

We only use carefully chosen herbs and supplements from companies that meet very high-quality control standards.

MICROCURRENT

Beth may incorporate microcurrent therapy when appropriate to decrease pain and inflammation, encourage faster healing, and discourage fibrosis.

Microcurrent therapy is extremely small pulsating currents of electricity. These currents are finely tuned to the level of the normal electrical exchanges which take place at the body’s cellular level.

Microcurrent has been proven to increase the production of ATP by 500%, which increases cell metabolism and increases healing, and encourages the elimination of cellular waste products.

Cold Laser/Low-Level Laser Therapy
LLLT is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and is thought to help accelerate the process. It can be used on patients who suffer from a variety of acute and chronic conditions in order to help eliminate pain, swelling, reduce spasms, and increase functionality.

Both these therapies are supplementary to regular acupuncture but can also be used alone for animals who do not tolerate the acupuncture needles.