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Rehabilitation & Pain Management (Certifications - CCRP and CVA)
Physical Therapy |
Acupuncture |
Chiropractic |
Stem Cell Therapy
Imagine you break a leg, and not the kind of leg meaning "good luck," before a theatrical performance. The kind that keeps you out of work for a month and on crutches for weeks. The kind that unless you're a superhero, you pay a visit to the doctor, get x-rays, receive a cast and if you're lucky, the doctor gives you a nice prescription to alleviate the pain. It's not over just yet though because after an injury like this your leg may not function at maximum capacity, causing you to wince at the mere thought of moving. Now imagine not being able to communicate this pain and one of your favorite past times is playing fetch with your master in the yard on a sunny day. Just because your pet doesn't speak doesn't mean they don't feel the pain. So when we say we offer comprehensive specialty care, that means from diagnosis through complete recovery.
Physical Therapy is a variety of rehabilitation techniques encompassing physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being that assists in improving the quality of life for your companion. If your pet experiences medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, degenerative neurologic disease, intervertebral disc disease, fibrocartilaginous embolism, orthopedic surgeries, soft tissue injuries or even obesity, your pet can benefit from this specialized service.
For example, dogs can lose up to one-third of muscle mass in the rear limb following cranial cruciate surgery and it could take up to one year to regain this lost muscle. Results from physical therapy are rapid and the majority of pets show improvement after just one visit. As a patient at NorthStar VETS, your pet will receive complementary rehabilitative sessions following surgery.
Physical therapy lends a hand in facilitating the healing process by:
- Decreasing swelling and pain levels
- Improving range of motion
- Developing strength of the affected limb
- Accelerating recovery time
We use techniques like massage, flexibility exercise, and other modalities, including:
- Therapeutic laser
- Electrical stimulation
- Thermotherapy (heat & ice)
- Ultrasound
In addition, we offer hydrotherapy on a case-by-case basis.
For long term success a little "homework" is recommended, which is why NorthStar VETS provides the option of specialized home care programs, enabling you to supplement the treatment your pet receives at the hospital. You will be provided a personalized home program designed to assist in returning the pet to optimal health and well-being.
And, did you know that physical therapy can also be used as a tool for dogs that participate in agility events, search and rescue, and those with higher levels of energy? This service will enhance natural athletic capabilities such as strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and endurance.
Beyond physical therapy, we also offer several different modalities for rehabilitation and pain management. Please see Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Stem Cell Therapy for further information.
NorthStar VETS is proud to offer a wide range of complementary medical services as part of its focus on total health and wellness for its patients.
Acupuncture is one branch of the ancient art of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). TCVM promotes the belief that health is a reflection of energy balance between all parts of the body. Illness, on the other hand occurs when there is an imbalance of the body's energy force—called Qi (pronounced CHEE). It has been practiced in China for over 2000 years. It differs in many ways from the modern, conventional medical practices utilized widely in the Western hemisphere.
Qi is the life force or vital energy required to maintain health. Qi flows through the body on channels called meridians. When the Qi flow along these meridians is interrupted, there is an excess or deficiency of this energy or a blockage of the energy flow, resulting in pain and/or illness. The meridian channels contain specific points that when stimulated resolve or return the normal flow of the Qi to the body and allow healing to occur. These points are called Acupoints, and stimulation of these points is called Acupuncture.
Acupuncture therapy can be effective for your pet if they suffer from a medical condition, such as:
- Adjuvant therapy for appetite stimulation
- Chronic arthritis
- Muscle, tendon and bone injuries
- Pre and post-operative pain management
- Paralysis and paresis, spinal injury and disc disease
- Seizure disorders
- Immune compromised patients
- Adjuvant therapy for kidney and liver diseases
- Cancer pain and minimization of treatment side effects
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Ocular disorders
- Respiratory disorders
- Neurological conditions
- Musculoskeletal disorders
A variety of Acupuncture techniques are commonly used, including:
- Dry needling (needles placed in specific acupoints)
- Electroacupuncture (electrical stimulation between points to enhance healing)
- Moxabustion (use of an herb to warm the affected body area)
- Aquapuncture (using injections at the acupoint sites instead of a needle)
- Acupressure (manual pressure on acupoints)
Each of these techniques is used to restore normal Qi flow, encourage the body's natural balance and enhance healing and pain resolution.
It is a common misunderstanding that an acupuncture session is painful; in fact, it is quite the opposite. The needles are sterilized and extremely thin. Absolutely no chemicals are involved and complications are rare. As the needles are inserted your animal companion could feel slight discomfort; however, as treatment continues they tend to become calm and may actually hit the snooze button and fall asleep. A typical session generally takes 30-60 minutes. The number and frequency of sessions required will vary depending on the nature and severity of the pet's problem. In general, a series of sessions is required for maximum benefit.
To better serve you, NorthStar VETS, also offers other complementary rehabilitative services like Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Stem Cell Therapy.
Did you know that your dog or cat has over 100 joints in their spine? If any of these joints fails to move properly, their range of motion is negatively affected and as a result, pain or illness may ensue. When people experience back pain, they typically pay a visit to their local chiropractor to relieve it. However, what most people don't realize is that pets can also benefit from the same type of chiropractic care. In fact, chiropractic therapy has been practiced on animals for decades.
Chiropractic care can positively affect your pet's entire body by helping to eliminate chronic pain, improve muscle health, and support the nervous system, allowing it to operate more effectively. Your pet may be a candidate for chiropractic care if any sudden movement appears to cause pain, such as difficulty jumping, standing, or lying down. If you notice that your pet has a hunched back, sore hips, or its back muscles are having spasms, then chiropractic care may be a viable treatment option.
Your family veterinarian knows your pet best so we encourage you to seek their advice. If they believe your pet has a serious condition that might require specialized treatment, they will refer your pet for further care. At NorthStar VETS, one of our skilled surgeons will carefully examine your pet and if they believe that chiropractic care will aid your pet's condition, they will recommend our chiropractor, specially trained to treat animals. During your visit, the chiropractor will use their hands to physically manipulate the spine of your pet. Occasionally, they may use certain tools to assist with back alignment. The session is not harmful without discomfort. Like with people, multiple sessions will typically be required in order to see maximum results. Chiropractic care is safe, drug and side effect free, and has proven very effective when other methods of treatment have failed. At NorthStar VETS, we strive to return your pet to the best quality of life possible and chiropractic care is just one of our many specialized services that will help do just that.
Did you know that both humans and animals carry around a first aid kit that is used every day to heal minor bumps, bruises, cuts and more serious injuries? These cells are called "adult" stem cells and can be found throughout the body. Adult stem cells are found in all tissues (fat, muscle, bone marrow, and brain) and have the ability to self renew and become different cell types. The most common source for harvesting adult stem cells in veterinary medicine is fat.
The cells patiently wait in the body for a signal to be deployed. They will then rush to the scene of the injury and begin the healing process. Though the body is a healing machine and we have the capability to heal naturally with our own stem cells, from time to time, some injuries or diseases become chronic and fail to really heal. Sometimes the body will simply settle for creating an ugly scar or walking off the injury just to get back to life. A perfect example of this compromise is arthritis: where the body accepts the inflammation and joints still function despite the increased levels of pain.
An injury like this slowly degenerates to the point where it causes severe pain and becomes dysfunctional. This is when you would take your pet to the veterinarian or go to the doctor and generally get prescribed medications to help you live with the chronic pain and inflammation. Before stem cell therapy, this was the only option available.
But, today, more than 1,700 dogs and 3,600 horses in the United States have been treated for tendon, ligament, and joint problems over the last six years with their own stem cells! More than 70% of these pets have had significant improvement in their quality of life and can return to running, jumping, swimming, or whatever physical activity their lifestyle might demand.
NorthStar VETS is proud to be on the frontier of advanced veterinary medicine by offering adult stem cell therapy to dogs and cats. Adult stem cell therapy can be used for the treatment of osteoarthritis, polyarthritis, tendonitis, and fracture repair. Since pets donate their own stem cells, therapy is extremely safe with less than 1% of patients having an adverse reaction. Your beloved pet with bad arthritis can be treated with their own stem cells at NorthStar VETS.
Joy Weinstein, DVM, DACVS, Garrett Levin, DVM, DACVS and Laura Culbert, DVM, DACVS have received advanced training utilizing adult stem cell therapy and are currently available for consultation regarding stem cell treatment at NorthStar VETS.
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