Augusta Valley Animal Hospital
Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture therapy for your pet is a pain-free way to treat a variety of conditions, primarily those dealing with inflammation and pain.
ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE:
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a form of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years. Fundamentally, Traditional Chinese Medicine centers around the concept of Qi, energy or life force. Qi circulates all throughout the body through meridians, or channels. Disease occurs when there is a disruption to this flow and when the body is in an unbalanced state. Acupuncture seeks to restore this balance by influencing two of the fundamental substances, Yin and Yang, and to restore the natural flow of Qi.
From a Western Medicine approach, many of these meridians or channels run parallel to nerve or vessel pathways. Acupuncture has been shown to influence the neuromodulators to decrease pain, increase blood flow and circulation to specific areas, stimulate nerve fibers, and activate anti-inflammatory mediators.
At our practice we seek to combine both Western medicine with Traditional Chinese Medicine for a well-rounded and comprehensive approach that allows our patients to receive the care that is best suited for their individual needs. Below is a list of disease or issues that acupuncture may help with:
Arthritis or joint/muscle pain
Gastrointestinal issues
Cancer quality of life
Skin issues/allergies
Chronic Kidney Disease
Neurologic disease
Heart disease
What to expect during your first visit:
Our initial consultation will be approximately 1 hour long and will be spent getting to know your pet more, a Traditional Chinese Medicine examination, and the first needle session. Depending on the condition we are treating the follow up sessions may be scheduled every 1-2 weeks initially and adjusted based on the patient’s needs. The follow up sessions will run approximately 40 minutes. It is generally recommended to commit to 6-8 sessions.
We are excited to work with you to provide your pet with a more holistic approach. This initial consult questionnaire is to help us get to know your pet and to target the therapy to his or her individual needs. Some of the questions may seem more detailed or unusual to the routine questions you may be more familiar with, however each question is important for us to provide the best care.
Once filled out this form can be emailed to our clinic email [email protected] with the subject: “Name of pet” Integrative Medicine Consult Form or it can be dropped off at our front desk. We request that this form be submitted 48 hours prior to the initial visit so we can have time to review your pet’s records. If this form is not received, we may have to reschedule your pet’s visit so we can provide the absolute best care for your pet. If you are a new client that has not been seen at our clinic we ask that you also send all of your pet’s records and any diagnostics (bloodwork, radiographs) to our email as well.