The body has an amazing ability to compensate. Often, an initial issue can go undetected until the body compensates further creating a secondary issue, which then creates a tertiary issue, and so on. Once the body can no longer compensate, it reacts. The reaction is typically accompanied by pain, discomfort or another outward physical manifestation or symptom. Conventional medicines treat the reactions. Imagine what would happen if we located and resolved the compensations BEFORE the reaction ensued. To do this, we start with a strong foundation of nutrition, and then utilize various treatment modalities to correct the imbalances of the body.

The information below is intended to give a brief overview of each modality used in this practice. As each pet is unique and has his or her own special needs, the treatment regimen is customized for each pet. The regimen will encompass a synergistic and appropriate blend of these holistic modalities to provide an optimal opportunity of each pet to achieve a higher state of vitality.

Foundational Nutrition

The body is designed to heal itself. If a person or animal is scratched, the body takes internal steps to bring about healing. This innate recuperative power exists in all things. If this recuperative power, also called vital force, is strong then issues heal quickly. If the vital force is weak then the healing is sluggish and delayed. The body must have all the essential building blocks to support these self-healing processes and strengthen the vital force. These building blocks are found in whole food sources of nutrition. An optimal diet has quality, whole food ingredients and is properly balanced for the needs of each individual.

<See more info in NUTRITION>

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Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a process in which small needles are placed in pre-determined points over the body in an effort to balance the flow of "qi". "Qi" or "chi" is the animating energy of the body. Simply put, it is the bioelectric force that courses through the body connecting all things to one another. Blockage of qi can create pain, discomfort and, over time, can contribute to disease formation and changes in the tissues. Imagine that the body is a road map, where the streets are called meridians, the traffic flow is called qi flow, and the stoplights are acupuncture points. If the flow is halted by a traffic jam, placing needles in specific acupuncture points will turn the lights to green, thus allowing the flow to be re-instated. Modern medicine (Neurophysiology) can explain approximately 90% of the workings of acupuncture. Scientists have discovered that this form of treatment stimulates a release of regulators like hormones, endorphins, and cortisol. Furthermore, it stimulates nerve conduction, increases blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms, and influences pain regulation.

The response of each patient to acupuncture is dependent upon a variety of factors:

1. The number of disease processes present
2. The length of time the uppermost issue has been present
3. The level of tissue pathology present
4. The innate recuperative power of each patient's body
5. The specific medications the patient is taking
6. The cooperation of the patient in the treatment process

In other words, each patient will respond to acupuncture at different rates. Initially, each patient is treated (once weekly for 4 weeks) more frequently, (then) The individual responses are assessed and a plan is tailored to each patient. Acupuncture has a cumulative effect, thus repeated treatments result in stronger effects in those patients who are able to respond. This form of treatment is often combined successfully with Chinese herbs and/or chiropractic care to enhance the outcome.

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Chiropractic

The term "chiropractic" comes form the Greek words, cheir, which means hand, and praxis, which means practice or done by hand. Chiropractic treatment involves manual manipulation of the spine designed to restore neurological and biomechanical function. The philosophy focuses on the relationship of the spinal column to the nervous system and the role of the spinal column in the biomechanics of the body and movement.

An adjustment is characterized by a specific force applied in a specific direction to a specific vertebra. Adjustments are high-velocity procedures designed to deliver maximal force with little to no tissue damage. By restoring normal movement, and subsequently neurological function, patients have decreased musculoskeletal pain, increased flexibility, increased performance and an increased sense of well-being. As the specificity of angle, thrust, and anatomical contact points is critical, chiropractic care should only be administered by a qualified doctor trained in veterinary chiropractic.

As with most holistic modalities, chiropractic assists the body in maintaining balance by stimulating the body's inherent ability to recuperate. Chiropractic treatment is often combined with acupuncture or homeopathy treatments to enhance the outcome.

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Homeopathy

A Brief Explanation of Homeopathy by Dr. Richard Pitcairn

Homeopathy started about 200 years ago with a discovery by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann. Wondering why quinine was useful in malaria, he took the medicine himself and found that, given to a healthy person, it temporarily produced the symptoms found in malaria. When given to a malaria patient, however, it was curative. Homeopathy means literally to "treat with a similar disease." Its central principle, "Like cures like," contrasts with other medical approaches.

The term allopathic means to "treat with other than the disease" and is used to denote the standard medical approach of today, which attempts to counteract symptoms. For example, a patient with diarrhea may be given a drug that slows intestinal motility.

To better understand how homeopathy works, it helps to consider two aspects of a disease. First, there is the immediate cause, such as a bacteria, virus, toxin, or internal immunological activity. Second, there is the patient's response - their reaction and defenses, such as fever, inflammation and discharge. These are the body's attempts to eliminate pathogens and toxins and to heal the tissue. While homeopaths do not ignore immediate causes, such as infection, their primary focus is on the patient's attempts to respond and heal. Their aim is to strengthen the patient's defenses and shift the balance in favor of recovery.

Dr. Hahnemann found that substances could be used to stimulate healing by applying the principle of "like cures like" in very specific ways. He would give the patient a substance that would gently nudge their system in the direction of the "disease", reproducing the same (or almost the same) syndrome or whole set of particular symptoms in a mild form. He found this to be a very effective way to stimulate their natural defenses. It is almost as if the patient's defenses cannot distinguish between the natural disease and what the similar substance is doing. Thus homeopaths fine-tune the use of medicines to enhance the patient's own attempts to overcome the disease.

In this manner, homeopathy employs hundreds of substances that have all been thoroughly studied as to their unique effects on body, emotions and mind. Some of these are common herbs; others are from poisonous plants; some remedies are made from toxins and venoms. Homeopathic pharmacists carefully prepare these many substances in a time-tested manner that enhances their usefulness while minimizing potential harm. They carefully dilute them to eliminate toxic effects, at the same time shaking or grinding them in a way that energizes their helpful effect. This use of a dilute similar substance is somewhat similar to the use of vaccines or to the method of allergy desensitization.

In summary, homeopathy stimulates the healing process through temporarily establishing an artificial disturbance of health with medicines. This disturbance, when similar to the disturbance caused by the disease, makes the body work harder to get well. The healing changes that follow are the result of this stimulation. While simple in theory, this process requires skill and experience, particularly in chronic conditions. The homeopathic doctor carefully evaluates the changes that occur after use of each homeopathic medicine. In this way, the patient can be guided to recovery of their health over the weeks or months necessary for the body to repel the disease and regrow damaged tissues.

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Therapeutic Supplementation & Food Therapy

Therapeutic Supplementation: Once a foundational nutrition program has been established, the body will often give clues, in the form of mild symptoms, as to what organ system or tissue is in need of repair. Through the use of therapeutic nutritional products, such as Standard Process and Whole-istic Solutions, the body can be assisted in repairing tissue that has been damaged when early, unresolved imbalances move into tissue changes. By supporting and healing specific organs/tissues, the health of the patient will be enhanced. Unlike some pharmaceutical drugs, whole food nutritional products will not interfere with any holistic modalities. In addition, whole food nutritional supplements do not interfere with any medications prescribed by a conventional veterinarian. Please note, synthetic vitamins are manufactured similarly to pharmaceutical drugs and will cause organ stress and, ultimately, cell damage. For more information on whole food vitamins vs. synthetic vitamins, please see Importance of Nutrition.

Food Therapy: In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), Food Therapy is truly instrumental in attaining a state of health. In conventional medicine, the mind-set is that foods have basic components: vitamins & minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Thus, the belief is that a "healthy diet" encompasses a specific ratio of these components. In TCVM, foods are so much more.

Much like Chinese herbs, each whole food has its own unique properties:

• Nature (yin vs yang)
• Flavor (salty vs bitter vs pungent/spicy vs sweet vs sour)
• Affinity for specific meridians/organ systems
• Direction (upward vs downward)
• Temperature (cool vs warm vs neutral)

For example: in the summer cucumber and mint provide cooling effects, whereas ginger and cayenne pepper provide warming effects in winter.

A TCVM practitioner can design and/or tailor an individual diet for a pet based on that pet's Chinese medical diagnosis along with the understanding of the inherent properties of foods. These individualized diets create a balancing effect, thereby improving a variety of conditions. The goal is not just in restoring health, but in maintaining heath as well.

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Massage/Reiki

Massage therapy has been gaining momentum in animal health care over the last several years. Imbalances in muscle function lead to acute injury and are always present in chronic injury. Massage therapy has been noted to increase circulation, release scar tissue, balance muscle function, as well as promote relaxation. For this reason, massage is quite useful in rehabilitation following injury. For the working dog, it can enhance athletic performance by removing lactic acid, increasing flexibility and improving the range of motion of the joints. While massage focuses on the muscle imbalance, Reiki focuses on balancing and energizing the body's electromagnetic field. The two therapies combined enhance the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the recipient.

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Chinese Herbal Therapy

Chinese Herbal Therapy has been used for over 4000 years to relieve discomfort, correct underlying imbalances and cure diseases. The first herbal text written in China was published over 2200 years ago in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). Chinese herbs are primarily of plant origin (roots, bark, seeds, flowers, and leaves) each of which has its own unique characteristics. Chinese herbal formulas contain carefully selected herbs that are balanced and work synergistically to bring about healing.

Chinese Herbal Therapy, along with the other components of Chinese Medicine, is grounded in the fundamental balance of yin and yang. Treatment strategies are based on proper Chinese medical diagnosis of such imbalances made by a trained practitioner. Proper training ensures that:

• Herb to herb interactions are avoided
• Interactions with pharmaceutical drugs are avoided
• Dosing is appropriate according to age, weight, and species
• Periodic checkups are made to reassess each pet's state and the formulas are adjusted as the body begins to heal.

Each patient's response to Chinese Herbal Therapy is dependent upon:

• A correct Chinese medical diagnosis
• Selection appropriate herbal formulas
• Correct dosage and administration frequency
• The innate recuperative power of each patient's body
• The cooperation of the patient in the treatment process
  

Thus the response of each pet to this form of Chinese Medicine relies on the teamwork of the client, the pet and a properly trained practitioner.

Chinese herbs have a long history of safety and efficacy when prescribed appropriately. The most common side effects noted in veterinary medicine are diarrhea +/- vomiting. Such symptoms are typically resolved within 24 hours by discontinuing herbal medication. If this occurs, the herbal formula is often decreased in half and given again. If symptoms persist, the formula is discontinued and the trained veterinary practitioner should be contacted.

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