If you book an acupuncture appointment at the Acupuncture Center of Salem between now and October 24th, 2009, you can get 50% off a massage at Spirit Wellness Center of Salem.

Coupons and more information available when you come in for your appointment. Don’t miss out!

Treating Hip Dysplasia with Acupuncture

Canine hip dysplasia, is an abnormal development of the ball-in-socket joint that makes up the hip. In a dysplastic hip, the ball which is the head of the femur, or thighbone, and the socket known as the acetabulum, do not fit together properly. Therefore when the dog bears its weight on the joint, it leads to painful and damaging friction.

Kobe is a feisty 5 year old Collie mix who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and arthritis in the winter of 2007. He is a very active dog who had been training in agility and free-style dancing. He is also a therapy dog.

Kobe’s owner began to notice that he was limping and seemed to be in pain after his training sessions. Conventional medicine was not easing his symptoms so she turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Kobe began his acupuncture sessions in late winter of 2008. In addition to acupuncture, we changed his diet to a better brand of dog food which did not contain any wheat, corn or soy. These ingredients can exacerbate pain and allergies.

A few supplements such as Halo’s Hip Hip Hooray was added to his regime as well. A Chinese herbal liniment was used in conjunction with Tui Na (a form of Chinese massage). The liniment helped to ease his pain and reduced inflammation which seemed to be worse on cold damp days. Kobe seemed to enjoy his massage after each session.

After his third acupuncture session Kobe chased a rabbit and after his sixth session, Kobe was able to return to his Freestyle dance class. His owner said “He still has a bad day every now and then, but those sad, pain filled eyes are gone and my happy, loving therapy dog Kobe is back!”

To read more about Kobe and other dogs who have been helped with Traditional Chinese Medicine, visit the Four Paws Acupuncture Happy Dogs page!

To learn more how TCM and acupuncture can help hip dysplasia and arthritis visit:
www.squidoo.com/canine-arthritis-acupuncture

The Golden Retriever is one of my favorite dogs to work with. They have an easy going disposition and are usually very happy dogs. They are cooperative during acupuncture sessions, love to be massaged and are very food driven.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Golden Retriever is a breed of dog, historically developed as a gundog to retrieve shot waterfowl and upland game during hunting. As such they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and an instinctive love of water. Their intelligence and versatility sees them employed in a variety of roles including illegal drug detection, search and rescue, as hunting dogs and as guide dogs. Its friendly, eager-to-please and patient demeanor has made it one of the most popular family dogs (by registration) in the world.

The temperament of the Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as “kindly, friendly and confident”. They are not “one man dogs” and are generally equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them. Their trusting, gentle disposition therefore makes them a poor guard dog. Any form of unprovoked aggression or hostility towards either people, dogs or other animals, whether in the show ring or community, is completely unacceptable in a Golden Retriever and is not in keeping with the character of the breed and as such is considered a serious fault. Nor should a Golden Retriever be unduly timid or nervous. The typical Golden Retriever is calm, naturally intelligent and biddable, with an exceptional eagerness to please

Health
The median life span for Golden Retrievers is approximately 10 to 12 years. They do very well in small living areas of at least 500 sq. feet. While the breed is recognized for its vitality, many retrievers are susceptible to specific ailments. A responsible breeder will proactively minimize the risk of illness by having the health of dogs in breeding pairs professionally assessed and selected on the basis of complementary traits.

Breeding Golden Retrievers can be profitable for puppy mills and backyard breeders. As a result of careless breeding for profit, Goldens are prone to genetic disorders and other diseases. Hip dysplasia is very common in the breed; when buying a puppy in the US the parents should be examined by the OFA or by PennHIP for hip disease.”

Most of the Goldens I treat with TCM and acupuncture suffer from arthritis and hip or elbow dysplasia. A change of diet along with regular acupuncture treatments and supplements such as fish oil are very beneficial to keeping these wonderful dogs healthy and happy in their old age.

www.MyAcuDoc.com

www.4pawsacupuncture.com

PLEASE NOTE: This information is for humans with allergies not dogs with allergies. I will be posting more information soon for dogs suffering with allergies.

Allergy season is almost here. If you suffer from springtime allergies try adding a little raw, unfiltered local honey to your tea every morning. Try to find honey that is made within 20 miles of your home.

The theory behind this remedy is that daily exposure to a small amount of an allergen can desensitize the body. This helps the body to resist the allergen in the long run.

Other ways to boost your immune system during this allergy season:

* Get more sleep.
* Take your vitamins.
* Soak in a warm bath infused with apple cider vinegar.
* Add garlic to your meals.
* Breath….Relax… Laugh!
* Get a massage.
* Get an Acupuncture Tune-Up
Visit the The Acupuncture Center of Salem for more information on acupuncture for people.

This is one of my patients, Nikki a feisty nine year old Schnauzer who just recently celebrated her ninth birthday. During the summer of 2005, Nikki somehow man-aged to injure her rear cruciate ligament.

You can read all about how traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, a change of diet and a whole lot of love helped Nikki on www.squidoo.com/canine-cruciate-ligament

To read about more dogs who had positive results with acupuncture and TCM please visit the Four Paws Acupuncture Happy Dogs page.

Max, is a 7 year old Briard who was injured last year during an agility training session. Working with Max was so much fun. He is full of personality and is larger than life. Although his owners claim he is a full bred Braird, I am certain he is part Wookie (from Star Wars).

The Briard is a large breed of dog, one of many herding breeds. They are very intelligent and quite stunning to see in person. For more information on Briards visit wikepedia.com

Traditional Chinese Medicine includes incorporating good nutrition, acupuncture, herbs and change of lifestyle. Fortunately Max’s owners feed him a well balanced and healthy diet. I was very happy that I did not have to give them my usual lecture on the importance of good nutrition for dogs. Max was treated by using a combination of acupuncture, tui na ( a form of Chinese massage), laser acupuncture and Chinese herbal liniments. His owners made sure he was completely recovered before allowing him to resume agility training.

After several treatments and lots of extra love from his owners, Max is now able to jump and attend classes again.

Below is his story told by his owner.

“About 4 months ago our 7-year-old Briard Max slipped off a 4-foot high dog walk during an agility training session. The next morning he could not walk on his front left leg. The verdict from the vet was ‘this might require surgery.’

Fortunately we heard about the possibility treat the torn ligaments using the Chinese Medicine. After consulting with Jeanie Marie Kraft of Four Paws Acupuncture we started Max on a regimen of acupuncture and massages with a Chinese liniment. Needless to say there wouldn’t be any jumping in the foreseeable future for Max, a tough task for the highest titled obedience performance Briard in North America
(11 US and Canadian titles).
Now it is 3 1/2 months later and CH Glendrovers Sir Maxwell UDX, CanOTCH is back to doing what he likes best – obedience and agility performance.

Thank you Jeanie Marie for getting our baby back in the performance competition arena!”
Marion and Team Briard

by Sheila Dichoso
March 03, 2009

It’s a ‘new age’ for pets as holistic health care is growing nationwide. They’re keeping fit and healthy with such methods as yoga, acupuncture and massage therapy.

“When I started holistic health care about 13 years ago, a lot of people were saying ‘wow, that’s crazy,’” said veterinarian Dr. Barbara Royal, owner of Royal Treatment Vet Spa on the North Side. Today, veterinarians call her regularly to ask about holistic techniques. “They’re really interested and they see the results,” she said.

Holistic health focuses on treating problems as a whole rather than a set of symptoms. It uses natural methods that connect physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life to heal your pet of injuries, diseases and other behavioral or health issues.

While the trend is sweeping the nation, procedures can be expensive. Acupuncture can cost around $100 while water treadmill sessions can range anywhere between $35 and $75.

However, conventional medicine and surgeries for pets can be even more expensive. An average vet visit can cost up to $800 and a kidney transplant can cost up to $10,000. Also, over-prescribing medication is a big problem, Royal said. In fact, she believes holistic methods saves money in the long run. It can help them get off medications and have pets avoid pricey surgeries.

Irving Park pet owner Birgit Mantilla, 44, agreed. “I like the fact that one does not need expensive medications and surgery to always improve your quality of life.”

Alternatives to conventional veterinary medicines, but here’s a rundown of popular techniques and what they can do for your pets.

Hydrotherapy

Underwater treadmill therapy. “A lot more people are doing more surgeries for their dogs, and as they’re doing more of those, they need to have physical therapy to recover,” Royal said. She has been working with this therapy for nine years and uses it to treat muscular and skeletal problems such as obesity, arthritis and back pain.

The warm water used in water treadmill therapy reduces pain and relaxes the animals, which can lower their blood pressure and is less stressful than walking on land. The water also provides a resistance throughout the range of motion that allows dogs to lengthen strides while minimizing pain.

Swimming. Sometimes pets need a little more movement. This was the case for Mantilla’s dog Hero, 10, who tried using a water treadmill but found that swimming gave a greater range of motion.

In fact, swimming saved his life. “Hero was almost euthanized a year ago because he could barely walk and do stairs,” Mantilla said. Distraught, the homemaker shunned away from conventional medication and turned to holistic care and hasn’t turned back. “It has made a huge difference in his quality of life,” she said. These days the Mastiff swims every week and is also taking natural supplements to keep healthy.

Acupuncture. The question isn’t what acupuncture does – it’s what it doesn’t do for pets. Royal has used it on a variety of animals, including an elephant and ferrets.

The traditional Chinese medical technique improves circulation and can treat, but is not limited to, allergies, kidney failure, and bladder problems. It’s especially effective for animals with chronic diseases, Royal said, who frequently uses it to treat animals with epilepsy.

The procedure is very similar to acupuncture for people, but the needles for pets aren’t as long and remain in the body for a shorter period of time.

Doga. Admittedly, doga sounds strange. Even Royal thought so the first time she tried it. “I thought, ‘Oh gosh, this is crazy,”’ she said. But doga can help calm and relax dogs, stretch out their muscles and gain flexibility, especially in the hip joints.

Even more, doga gives a work out for both pet owner and pets, and it keeps them happy as it offers another way to bond with them.
Read more of the article at news.medill.northwester.edu

By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) — After surgery for a ruptured disk two years ago, Nelly’s legs remained extremely weak. She could barely move, became lethargic and lost her appetite.

Things were looking grim, but then a concerned friend took the 10-year-old to an acupuncturist, who treated her three times in half-hour sessions.

“Almost immediately after the first treatment, Nelly’s energy went from zero to 100,” recalled that friend, Annie Washburn, who works as a community organizer in New York City. Nelly became more mobile, ate more and resumed regular bowel movements. “She bounced back in a way that seemed miraculous,” Washburn said

It’s a story that might be familiar to people who’ve benefited from the ancient healing technique. But Nelly, who lives with Washburn, is a frisky, fluffy bichon frise.

“I’m not really into alternative therapies, that’s not my thing,” Washburn stressed. “But this was really unbelievable.”

Dr. Leilani Alvarez, the veterinary acupuncturist who treated Nelly, confessed that even she was once a bit skeptical of what acupuncture could do for four-footed patients.

hings were looking grim, but then a concerned friend took the 10-year-old to an acupuncturist, who treated her three times in half-hour sessions.

“Almost immediately after the first treatment, Nelly’s energy went from zero to 100,” recalled that friend, Annie Washburn, who works as a community organizer in New York City. Nelly became more mobile, ate more and resumed regular bowel movements. “She bounced back in a way that seemed miraculous,” Washburn said

It’s a story that might be familiar to people who’ve benefited from the ancient healing technique. But Nelly, who lives with Washburn, is a frisky, fluffy bichon frise.

“I’m not really into alternative therapies, that’s not my thing,” Washburn stressed. “But this was really unbelievable.”

Dr. Leilani Alvarez, the veterinary acupuncturist who treated Nelly, confessed that even she was once a bit skeptical of what acupuncture could do for four-footed patients.

Read more of this article at click here