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Rehabilitation & Pain Management
Welcome to Rehabilitation & Pain Management |
Acupuncture |
Stem Cell Therapy
Rehabilitation
Physical Rehabilitation is an emerging field in veterinary medicine which has become very important in providing our companions the best opportunity to improve their quality of life. If your pet experiences medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease, fibrocartilagenous embolism, orthopedic surgeries, soft tissue injuries, obesity or increasing difficulty with daily activities, your pet could greatly benefit from early rehabilitative care. We also work with healthy, active dogs who regularly participate in agility events in order to improve endurance, coordination, flexibility and strength.
At NorthStar VETS, our mission is to provide rehabilitative services for your pet provided by a team of veterinarians who are have undergone advanced study and are certified in canine rehabilitation (CCRT or CCRP). Our comprehensive approach allows us to factor in all pieces of the rehabilitation equation by looking at medical history, current problems, lifestyle, body condition, supplements, medication and owner goals in order to develop an individualized treatment program that will best meet the needs of your pet.
Goals of Physical Rehabilitation may include:
- Improving joint range of motion
- Improving muscular strength and coordination
- Facilitating and accelerating your pets functional recovery from surgery
- Decreasing swelling and pain management
- Promoting physical and mental well being
- Improving quality of life
- Reducing the risk of injury due to deconditioning and repetitive movement in our canine athletes
- Weight loss
- Functional training
- Fitness and conditioning
Our experts in Physical Rehabilitation use the same equipment and techniques utilized in human physical therapy centers such as:
- Hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill)
- Low level laser
- Therapeutic ultrasound
- Electrical stimulation modalities (NMES,TENS)
- Manual therapy (massage, stretching, joint and/or soft tissue mobilization)
- Therapeutic exercise for improving range of motion, strength and balance
- Thermotherapy (heat and ice)
Our veterinary rehabilitation service will work in conjunction with our specialists, as well as with your regular veterinarian to provide advanced care and rehabilitation for your pet.
In addition to Physical Rehabilitation, NorthStar VETS, also offers other complementary rehabilitative and pain management services like Acupuncture and Stem Cell Therapy.
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 Rehabilitation, Chiropractic and Stem Cell Therapy.
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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