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What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to achieve a healing effect. It is not a cure-all, but it works well where indicated and when used alone or in combination with traditional veterinary medicine.
Veterinary acupuncture has been used to treat animals for nearly 4,000 years in China. In North America it has been used for decades, in both domestic and exotic animals. Acupuncture is one of a variety of therapies a veterinarian may use to treat an animal.
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Animal species that may be treated with acupuncture:
Any animal species may benefit from acupuncture treatment, alone or as an adjunctive therapy in combination with conventional forms of veterinary medicine. Most commonly treated species are horses (companion animals, working and performance horses), dogs (companion animals and working or performance dogs) and cats. A thorough veterinary examination is conducted prior to determining the optimum treatment plan for any given animal. |
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Patricia M. Logan, DVM, PhD
BioLoma Consulting Inc. A Special Interest Practice Veterinary Medical Acupuncture 4100 Dondale Road Grand Forks, BC Canada, V0H 1H5 Phone - 1 (250) 442-3199 Cell Phone - 1 (250) 666-0180 Email - vet@bioloma.com |
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Mobile practice area served (by appointment only):
From the southern Okanagan (Osoyoos) to Creston, BC, including:
Boundary: Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Midway, Rock Creek, Beaverdell
Southern Okanagan: Osoyoos
West Kootenay region: Castlegar, Trail, Nelson, Creston
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How Does Acupuncture Work?
The scientific basis of medical acupuncture has been the subject of decades of research, both in human and veterinary medical applications. Unlike many conventional western medical treatments, which employ pharmaceutical products to elicit a therapeutic result, acupuncture involves specific integrated procedures, incorporating complex methodology based on cumulative knowledge drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern neuroanatomy and physiology, all in the context of a thorough history and examination of the patient by a qualified medical professional.
Ancient Chinese medical philosophy believes that disease is a result of imbalance of energy in the body. Acupuncture is believed to balance this energy, and thereby assist the body in healing disease. In Western terms, acupuncture can assist the body’s efforts to heal itself by causing certain physiological changes. For example, acupuncture can stimulate nerves, increase blood circulation, relieve muscle spasms, and cause the release of hormones, such as endorphins (one of the body’s pain control chemicals) or cortisol (a natural steroid with anti-inflammatory and immune system effects). The effects of acupuncture treatment can occur locally (around the site of needle placement) and system-wide (as a result of stimulation of physiologic processes through neural signaling).
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What are some of the uses of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is known to have therapeutic effects in a wide variety of animal diseases. Pain modification is an important application of veterinary acupuncture, but there are much wider applications. Examples of clinical conditions where veterinary acupuncture may be used are:
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How long do acupuncture treatments last, and how often are they needed?
The length and frequency of treatments depends on the problem and condition of the animal. Stimulation of an acupuncture point, using very fine needles, may be for as little as 10 seconds or as long as 20-30 minutes and can involve application of electrostimulation in some cases. Generally, acute problems require less time and frequency of treatment than chronic conditions would. A positive response is generally seen after up to three treatments in chronic cases. Once optimum response is achieved, treatments are tapered off so the greatest amount of symptom-free (or symptom-minimal) time elapses between them. |
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About the Veterinarian:
Dr. Patricia Logan graduated from Ontario Veterinary College in 1980 and has practiced in British Columbia since that time. Until 2005, her primary practice methods involved traditional or conventional veterinary medicine. These methods are invaluable for the treatment of many animal diseases and disorders. During her early practice years, Dr. Logan was inspired by Terry Fox, the courageous cancer patient who did a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research and was thwarted when he reached Thunder Bay by the return of his disease. In the face of such adversity, a young man cared enough to put his life on the line to help others. This legacy of inspiration took Dr. Logan into a new phase of work in immunology and cancer research, where she learned first hand the benefits and limitations of medical research and development. Over the past decade, Dr. Logan has become increasingly interested in certain complementary (often referred to as alternative) forms of veterinary medicine, in particular acupuncture. She noted with amazement how she, other family members and friends benefited from acupuncture treatments even when many or all other forms of conventional treatments were minimally effective. This was particularly true in cases where a number of different medical disorders occurred simultaneously, became chronic or where conventional pharmaceutical products were either unavailable or had limited overall benefits when balanced with negative side effects. After researching certification programs in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture, Dr. Logan chose a course offered through Colorado State University and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association based on a scientific approach to this form of treatment, in combination with Traditional Chinese Medical based methodology.
Dr. Logan’s special interest practice now focuses on the use of acupuncture as a complementary medical therapy. One of the principle benefits of this kind of treatment is the ability to integrate multiple beneficial effects on the whole body simultaneously. In addition to acupuncture’s effects on a specific disease or disorder, some clients have found that routine treatments can maintain optimal condition for companion, performance or working animals.
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