Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical technique developed 3,000 years ago, still commonly practiced today in the Eastern world. It operates on the concept that in health, the body’s energy is balanced and in sickness,
unbalanced. Energy of the body is called Qi (pronounced chee) and flows along pathways called meridians. An acupuncturist can manipulate the energy through placing needles in locations along the meridian where energy can be accessed. From a western medical perspective, stimulation by a needle releases chemicals and nerve impulses that help the body heal. The physiologic mechanism behind acupuncture and why it works remains largely unknown, however thousands of years of practice have shown its effectiveness.
Acupuncture is different from western medicine because it operates within a spectrum of balance. Western medicine focuses on the use of powerful pharmaceuticals to treat overt symptoms. These extreme methods can be highly effective in most cases. However, when western medicine does not work, acupuncture is an excellent alternative approach to healing. When side effects of pharmaceuticals are worse than the disease, acupuncture works to balance the body and encourage the natural healing that it was designed to accomplish.
Acupuncture can treat a wide range of conditions including but not limited to arthritis, nerve damage, gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, skin allergies, and behavioral problems. It normally takes longer to treat disease with acupuncture than with pharmaceuticals because it works gently to bring the body back to its balanced state. Generally we recommend at least 3 sessions to determine if acupuncture is right for your animal. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Dr. Crowley anytime.
Herbal Medicine
(coming soon)
Chiropractic
(coming soon)