Alternative or Complementary Therapies for Animals

Not very long ago, complementary, or alternative therapies as they are more often referred to, were regarded with scorn and suspicion by much of the veterinary profession. Examples include acupuncture, homoeopathy, physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage and herbs to name but a few.

 

Today, these “alternative” modalities are becoming widely accepted and respected as viable companions to traditional veterinary medicine. They are more correctly referred to as “complementary therapies,” and should be used in conjunction with, (to complement) traditional veterinary medicine.

 

Sometimes animals may have conditions, such as persistent lameness, gait abnormalities, loss of performance, skin problems etc., that fail to improve with traditional veterinary treatment. Many owners, whilst wanting to do their very best for their pet, look to “alternative” therapies to provide a “cure”.

 

Although there is no alternative to proper veterinary diagnosis and care when it comes to your animal’s health, complementary therapies can work in conjunction with traditional medicine and should not interfere with or harm the animal in any way.

 

Some of the most popular complementary therapies for animals are:-

Veterinary acupuncture

 

Acupuncture treatment aims to restore the body’s natural balance by stimulating or depressing particular organs using the appropriate and corresponding acupuncture points located along various meridians. Used for a wide variety of complaints including lameness, skin complaints, reproductive problems and other musculo-skeletal problems.

 

Veterinary Homoeopathy

 

The basic principle of Homoeopathy is that of “treating like with like”. If you take a substance (usually toxic) and administer it to a normal healthy body (human or animal), it will produce certain symptoms. That same substance, when given in minute quantities, will help to cure those same symptoms if they are produced in the body by some other cause, like illness or disease. Homoeopathy stimulates the body’s natural defences by rousing the immune system to fight the disease.

 

Homoeopathy has been shown to be useful in the treatment of many illnesses and ailments as well as behavioural problems.

Herbs for animals

 

Probably one of the oldest forms of medicine, herbal remedies have been used for many thousands of years. Even today, a large percentage of our conventional drugs come from or have been derived from plants.

 

Herbal remedies can provide relief from a wide variety of conditions, and usually, without many of the unwanted side effects associated with conventional drugs.

Veterinary Physiotherapy

 

Physiotherapy is commonly used to treat conditions of the musculoskeletal system and soft tissue injuries.

Chiropractic for animals

 

Chiropractic deals mainly with the spine and the relationship of the spine with the nervous system. It is very useful for treating problems with mobility, gait, lameness, performance as well as conditions of the musculoskeletal system and soft tissue injuries.

Animal Massage

 

Massage, Myofascial Release, and Trigger Point therapy are used to relieve tension and improve muscle function. Massage techniques are used to relieve muscle tightness resulting from injury, surgery, poor conformation, or athletic performance.

 

All complementary animal practitioners should work alongside your vet as it is against the law for any animal therapist to treat an animal without veterinary permission. Once the problem has been diagnosed, the vet, owner and therapist can work together to select a treatment programme which hopefully will return the animal to full health.

 

If an underlying problem goes undiagnosed then regular trips to the animal practitioner will only delay the recovery and cost money. The sooner the problem is diagnosed by a veterinary surgeon, the sooner the correct therapy can be started which is obviously better for the animal.

the new Congress might repeal health care reform

Many conservatives running for Congress, including many who won, say they want to revisit health care reform – repeal or tweak or defund or something. Easy To Insure ME has the answers

Americans do remain split on the legislation overall – CNN said exit polls showed half want it repealed and the other half want it expanded or maintained.

Though, advocates point out that many of the individual elements remain popular, such as keeping kids up to 26 on their parent’s health insurance, closing the Medicare prescription benefit “donut hole,” banning insurers from bumping those who get sick out of coverage and not covering kids with pre-existing conditions.

It seems the part many have a problem with is the mandatory coverage for everyone, mainly because of the costs. Though, the advocates say putting so many more people in the system spreads the risk and makes the other provisions possible.

Those advocates, including Health Care for America Now, said they believe the election hinged more on the economy than health care. The group points to a CNN poll that found only 19 percent of voters named health care as their top concern, second, and well behind, the 61 percent who said it was the economy that was most important.

The group also pointed to Politico’s assessment that 22 of the 34 Democrats who voted against the health care legislation still lost, as well as three of five senators. Certainly, few even mentioned the legislation on the campaign trail, and many of those who did were running away from it.

For sure, not all lawmakers are anti-health care reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who won reelection to his post, says he doesn’t want the legislation dismantled. And Maryland officials, led by Gov. Martin O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, have embraced health care reform.

San Francisco Massage Therapy – The Benefits Of Massage Therapy

With the busy lifestyle most people lead today, very few have the luxury just to relax and take a breath. Many of them consider getting a massage as luxury. However, there are many things massage can accomplish. Aside from making one feel good it is great for relieving stress and can combat many illnesses, especially those related to the musculoskeletal system. Massages can also help certain conditions that affect the way you live. If you feel stressed all the time or you seem to have constant back pain, it might be wise to undergo San Francisco massage therapy.

Massage therapists are trained and certified in this field. Certification is important because massage therapy involves manipulation of different parts of the body by applying pressure. San Francisco massage therapy can serve a lot of benefits. Some of these benefits include:

Relief of stress. Too much stress caused by the busy lifestyle you lead may cause a lot of other illnesses and conditions. Massage therapy can significantly help in relieving your body of stress by targeting pressure points, not only to make the body feel better but also to allow your mind to relax.

Undergoing San Francisco massage therapy can help the body flush out all the harmful toxins that are taken from the food you eat. This is because getting a massage can significantly improve the blood’s circulation. It also helps to relax tense muscles that allow detoxification.

Massage therapy has also been proven to regulate both blood pressure and heart rate.
People who have suffered from musculoskeletal injuries can find great pain relief through massage therapy.

Massage therapy can enhance brain performance and alertness. This is due to the fact that it relieves stress and allows the brain to relax, improving its performance after.
It can also relieve the symptoms of sub clinical depression.

There are a lot of known benefits of massage therapy. People experiencing severe stress and have musculoskeletal injuries should seek massage therapy from a reliable institution or therapist. San Francisco massage therapy can help keep your bones and your muscles healthy and strong. If you undergo massage therapy at least once a week, you can say goodbye to the toll that your busy lifestyle has taken on your health. Massage therapy can also increase your immunity to certain conditions. Massage therapy is more than just making yourself feel good; it’s also about keeping your body at its best state.

 

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