Frequently Asked Questions
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Acupuncture
+ What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an Eastern form of medicine. The insertion of the needles produces natural chemicals in the body called endorphins, which help decrease your perception of pain. The overall goal of acupuncture is to reduce pain while increasing blood flow and stimulating muscles and nerves throughout the body. Acupuncture and TCVM can benefit all life stages (juvenile, adult and senior) and a variety of conditions. Determining and resolving the underlying reasons illness are occurring is one of the aspects of TCVM’s approach that can reduce the cumulative effect of chronic illness. Since most pets’ health problems are diagnosed once illness has become very advanced, it’s vital to strive to prevent disease from occurring.
+ What’s the purpose of Acupuncture?
The philosophy behind acupuncture is achieving balance throughout your body. Practitioners believe that if you’re in pain, your body is not in balance. In treating the pain, acupuncturists try to find the specific acupuncture point that will address your physical problem, thereby putting your body back in balance.
+ What Can Veterinary Acupuncture Do for My Dog or Cat?
Veterinary acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s own pain relieving and anti-inflammatory substances. Relaxation of muscles at the site of needle insertion and more distant locations body is achieved with veterinary acupuncture treatment, creating both a local and generalized pain relieving effect. Veterinary acupuncture improves tissue blood flow, oxygenation and removal of metabolic wastes and toxins. Unlike prescription and over the counter pain medications, veterinary acupuncture lacks potential adverse side effects for your pet’s internal organs. Your pet’s medications or supplements will not adversely interact with veterinary acupuncture treatment; therefore it can safely be used to treat a variety of illnesses.
+ Will the needles hurt my pet?
Acupuncture needles are very thin and flexible. Typically acupuncture needles do not hurt when placed. Due to needles being placed so close to nerves, your pet may feel a little pressure as the needles is inserted, but most animals/people do not feel the needles being inserted. Once the needle is in the muscle, there should be no pain.
+ What can Acupuncture do for my pet?
Both acute and chronic illnesses can be treated with acupuncture. Because every pet responds differently, the number of treatment sessions can vary for each pet.
Veterinary acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s own pain relieving and anti-inflammatory substances.
Relaxation of muscles at the site of needle insertion and more distant locations body is achieved with veterinary acupuncture treatment, creating both a local and generalized pain relieving effect.
Veterinary acupuncture improves tissue blood flow, oxygenation and removal of metabolic wastes and toxins.
Unlike prescription and over the counter pain medications, veterinary acupuncture lacks potential adverse side effects for your pet’s internal organs.
Your pet’s medications or supplements will not adversely interact with veterinary acupuncture treatment; therefore it can safely be used to treat a variety of illnesses.
+ Can only Veterinarians treat animals with acupuncture?
+ How Does Veterinary Acupuncture Work?
The goal of acupuncture is to promote the body to heal itself. From a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) perspective, veterinary acupuncture encourages healing by correcting energy imbalances in the body. Acupuncture enhances blood circulation, nervous system stimulation, and the release of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving hormones.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into body tissue where nerve bundles and blood vessels come together. These collections of nervous and vascular tissue are termed acupuncture points, which course over all aspects of the body’s surface on meridians (energy channels). The meridians permit a cycle of energy to occur throughout the entire body over the course of the day’s 24 hours.
+ How many sessions are needed for Acupuncture to be effective?
Typically, the longer the patient has the condition, the longer the course of treatment before they experience substantial or lasting results. Acupuncture can be done as often as five times a week, or as little as once a month.
+ How do I get my pet started with Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an effective way to treat many types of pain, and has few side effects. If pain medicines have been a problem for your pet, acupuncture may be a viable option. To make an appointment, please call (----).