Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
Animal Acupuncture with Medicine in Motion Veterinary Services
Acupuncture is the use of a stimulating method (dry needling, moxibustion, aqua-acupuncture, or electro-acupuncture) at a specific point called an acupoint to drive a therapeutic effect. Dr. Bacon utilizes Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) techniques to assess your pet to achieve a TCVM diagnosis. This is how the specific acupoints can be chosen best looking at the animal as a whole. Therapeutic effects include beta-endorphin release for pain management, stem cell release for injury repair, and enhancement of the immune system. Expect initial acupuncture evaluations or new problem assessments to take slightly over an hour, and progress appointments to take around 45 minutes. Local point acupuncture focused only on pain trigger points is also available for established patients.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM)
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is used to look at the whole animal. Although local acupuncture points can be useful as part of the treatment, it is only a single ingredient compared to the whole recipe that is TCVM. Acupoints that are more distant or systemic are used based on the TCVM diagnosis to get a better response to treatment. The use of TCVM herbal treatments, food changes, or intensifying methods may be recommended for enhanced or faster results. Some animals that cannot tolerate needle therapy can still benefit from herbal therapy, food therapy, laserpuncture, acupressure, and moxibustion techniques.
Please make sure to fill out your Client Forms information about your pet prior to your appointments, as these are vital to completing the full TCVM diagnosis. Your pet will get a traditional exam that includes tongue color/moisture check and pulse check as long as your pet behaviorally allows these evaluations. This information allows for a potentially multimodal approach to optimum health.
Dr. Bacon always recommends working with modern Western Medicine approaches with Eastern Medicine whenever possible. This is a truly holistic approach to best meet the needs of your pet’s well-being.
Stimulating Methods
Dry needling is the use of needles only for stimulation of acupoints (2-30 needles depending on diagnosis, disease conditions, and age of animal.) As many needles that an animal “needs” are used, which may be few or many. The use of moxabustion, laser or electroacupuncture may be used to enhance needle stimulation or treat larger segments based on diagnosis. A targeted cold laser can stimulate acupuncture points without the use of needles for sensitive areas or nervous animals. Aqua-acupunture is the injection of a small amount of liquid (B12, sterile saline, or Adequan) at specific acupoints to extend duration of stimulation.
Common conditions treated with acupuncture include the following:
- Behavioral disturbances
- Arthritis
- Unexplained Pain
- Allergies
- Gastrointestinal disturbances (constipation, diarrhea)
- Anorexia
- Infections or immunodeficiencies
- Poor athletic performance or lethargy
- Neurologic disorders (Wobblers, IVDD, Laryngeal Paralysis)
- Healing Time enhancement
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular deficits
- Preventative holistic health