Acupuncture is a treatment strategy that was developed in China thousands of years ago. It is performed by placing needles into specific points on the body. These points are mostly found on meridians which are the channels along which Qi (pronounced “chee”) flows correctly without blockages. When the body is healthy, Qi flows correctly without impediment. When illness or disease occurs, Qi flow along the meridians becomes blocked or imbalanced and treating the associated points on the affected meridians can help bring balance back to the body. No one knows exactly why acupuncture works but the nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, and immune systems all seem to play a part.
Herbal formulas are composed of specific amounts of ingredients from the Chinese Herbal Materia Medica. The formulas come as powder, capsule, or teapill and are given with food. Herbal formulas are made to treat specific disease patterns in the body and are given every day.
Food therapy uses the energetic properties of food as defined by Eastern medicine to treat or prevent imbalances in the body. It may include designing a daily meal plan or adding foods to diets that help tonify the system.
Food therapy is not the same as creating a balanced diet from scratch. For nutrition services contact UC Davis veterinary nutrition department.
When a joint (spinal or limb) is stuck somewhere within normal range of motion (flexion, neutral, extension), muscle spasm and nerve pain can occur in that area. To bring a joint back into full range of motion, a chiropractic adjustment is performed by applying a small thrust or rocking motion into the joint to release it. Chiropractic adjustments are always performed within the normal range of motion of a joint either with the hands or a device called an activator. Adjustments on animals are very small and rarely do you hear a “crack” or “pop.” Small animal nervous systems are sensitive to input and can often produce big results with calculated adjustments to joints that are not moving well.