Acupuncture
Helen Purdam has been practicing acupuncture as an adjunct to conventional medicine since becoming a certified veterinary acupuncturist in 1994. Whilst she uses it most commonly to treat musculo-skeletal diseases, this ancient form of healing has many applications.
This traditional Chinese medicine considers disease as it affects the entire individual from a ‘holistic’ perspective. Whilst its efficacy cannot yet be explained using neurophysiology, many animals show a marked improvement.
An acupuncture treatment usually takes 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can stay with your pet or leave them at the hospital to receive treatment during the day. Some ‘busy’ or anxious animals may tolerate the procedure best under sedation.
A course of three treatments at weekly intervals allows for a reasonable trial.Whilst it is best to trial acupuncture as a sole treatment to assess its effect, it can be used in conjunction with other pre-existing treatments.
A decision to try acupuncture is made after diagnosing conditions that are considered to respond well to acupuncture, discussion of all treatment options and consideration of the pet’s disposition.
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