Holistic Alternatives For Pets

You may ask, what does the term ‘holistic’ mean? The word holistic is derived from the word ‘whole’. Holistic veterinary medicine, therefore, refers to the treatment of the whole organism rather than the treatment of individual body parts or simply the removal of symptoms. For example, if a cat is diagnosed by the veterinarian with a urinary tract infection, the veterinarian may prescribe pharmaceutical medication to treat the cat. Where the holistic veterinarian may provide advice on improving the cat’s overall health through the use of holistic methods in addition to, or instead of, antibiotics to treat the urinary tract infection. Thus, the cat’s overall well being is being addressed and improved rather than just the ailment that the cat has acquired.

Under the heading of holistic veterinary medicine are many modalities including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbs, supplements, and flower essences, energy healing modalities such as Reiki, magnetic therapy and nutrition.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method used to treat blockages in the energy lines, known as meridians, running through the body. With the use of needles being inserted in specific acupuncture points, blockages in the energy lines will be eliminated and the body will return to an energetically balanced state. Some of the benefits of acupuncture include pain relief, increased blood flow to the area being treated and decreased inflammation. Acupuncture can be a viable alternative to using pain killers and steroids. Conditions that can benefit from the use of acupuncture in animals include hip dysplasia, arthritis, and nerve damage, controlling nausea and vomiting. In addition, acupuncture can be used to help relieve the side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiation. There are few, if any, side effects when done correctly.

Homeopathy has been around since the mid-1800′s and, as practiced today, is credited to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German medical doctor. The principle behind homeopathy is that ‘like cures like’. That is to say that a very diluted form of a substance is used to treat a condition or group of symptoms which, if used in its full strength, would cause the same set of symptoms in an animal. Thus, the homeopathic practitioner must carefully match the animal’s symptoms with the appropriate remedy.

Chiropractic therapy is based on the manual manipulation of the spine to improve health. Spinal manipulation is almost as old as acupuncture which was used by the Chinese from about 2700 B.C. Hippocrates used spinal manipulation on humans because he believed that alignment problems with the spine were the cause of many diseases. Chiropractic care in general focuses on the interaction between the nervous system and the biomechanics of the vertebrae. Since all of the body’s systems are regulated by the nervous system, anything that causes interference between the nervous system and any of the body’s systems can adversely impact those areas. Therefore, when seeking chiropractic therapy for your pet, ensure that the veterinarian or chiropractor you choose uses techniques approved specifically for animals.

Herbs have been used around the world for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. This includes Western herbs from North America, Aryuveic herbs from India and traditional Chinese herbs. Herbs are effective in treating many conditions that pets have. Conditions that have been effectively treated with herbs include liver and kidney diseases. Herbs can also support the immune system by assisting the full recovery of the pet while other herbs serve as detoxification agents, antioxidants and anti-cancer therapies. Only well-known and respected herbal companies should be considered when purchasing herbal products for your pets.

Supplements can help to strengthen the body and improve immune system function.
To ensure that your pets are receiving health and nutritional supplements that are of the highest quality, ask your veterinarian if their products carry the Natural Animal Supplement Council’s (NASC) seal on the label. Products that have the NASC seal on them provides you with the assurance that the company adheres to the standards set forth for animal health and nutritional supplements by the NASC, has regular quality control checks and has an adverse event reporting system.

Flower essences can be used to modify the behavior of animals that are exhibiting aggression, fear or behavioral problems. Bach Flower’s Rescue Remedy is a flower essence combination that is used commonly to calm scared or anxious animals. It can be sprayed in the exam room of a vet’s office, sprayed directly on the pet’s body (not in the eyes) or put in the pet’s water. The choice of remedies for other behavioral challenges should be based on the individual pet’s needs. Oversimplification by using a particular flower essence for a particular problem is much less effective than evaluating your pet’s overall condition and formulating a remedy of various flower essences.

Energy healing therapies have existed for thousands of years and are practiced throughout the world by many cultures. Some of the more familiar forms of energy healing therapies include Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Quantum Touch. These healing practices involve a practitioner who serves as a conduit for the Universal energy to clear imbalances that exist within an animal’s energy field. Energy healing is very useful in calming a nervous or distressed animal, but can also be beneficial for any animal regardless of their health.

Magnetic therapy can be used when a pet is experiencing joint challenges that affect their mobility. Many animals sleep on magnetic pet pads that have specially placed magnets embedded within them and have shown increased mobility after laying on them.

Natural foods are recommended in order for a pet to live a healthy and happy life. Many commercial pet foods contain by-products and chemicals that are known to have serious side effects. Chemicals to avoid include BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin as well as any artificial coloring and flavoring. Foods that are good to feed your pets include natural whole grains (e.g. brown rice, organic vegetables and meats such as chicken, beef or rabbit. Of course if your pet is allergic to any of these types of foods then don’t include them in their diet.

Thankfully, holistic alternatives are more readily available for pets than in the recent past and their use is growing in popularity among many veterinarians. They can be used as complimentary therapies in conjunction with your pet’s regular veterinary care. For example, if your pet has a broken leg your veterinarian would need to do surgery to repair the break. In addition, a holistic therapy could also be used to help speed the healing process and decrease the amount of pain and inflammation that would accompany a broken leg. This is how traditional veterinary care and holistic veterinary medicine are used to complement one another to the benefit of an animal’s health.

The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association’s web site is a great resource to locate a veterinarian in your area that is certified in holistic modalities. I would recommend seeking holistic alternatives for your pets in addition to any traditional treatments that are available.

Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief

Pain. The great leveler. The rich feel it. So do the poor, the happy, the sad, tall, and short. And, of course, article writers, too. It’s therefore not surprising to note that since the dawn of time, humans have attempted to discover ways to reduce pain. In some respect, our ability to experience pain, and seek ways to solve it, connects us more than anything else. But what exactly is pain and how do we deal with it?

Pain is a message sent by the body to the brain, signaling the presence of disease, injury or strain. Without pain, you would be unaware of many problems – from torn ligaments to appendicitis. Pain is simply, Mother Nature’s way of telling you something is wrong.

Many of us kill the messenger with narcotics, anti-depressants and tranquilizers that take care of the symptoms, but not the cause of the pain. This kind of treatment cannot only mask symptoms of serious disease, but can also create a cycle of chronic pain.

Not all pain though, serves a useful function. While acute pain, as described above can alert us to a serious problem, chronic pain can linger long after an ailment or injury has healed in the body. Examples of chronic pain include backache, migraines and arthritis. In these cases, pain management, as opposed to a cure, may become the goal of treatment.

The psychological effects that accompany recovery from a disease or injury heighten chronic pain. A loss of confidence is often triggered by prolonged periods of rest and inactivity that cause a loss of physical strength, endurance and flexibility. If the injury has prevented you from performing your usual duties, you may succumb to frustration and depression. Impatience is chronic pain’s best friend as many individuals overexert themselves before they have completely healed, thus triggering more pain.

Various treatments can help alleviate chronic pain. Some treatments do so on a purely physical level by interfering with signals from the nerves to the brain or desensitizing the nerves. The following sections are meant to introduce you to some of the ways of dealing with pain without relying on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, narcotics, tranquilizers or anti-depressants.

For many people, particularly those in the western world, pain relief solutions such as acupuncture, and herbal medicine are novel concepts. However, the rest of the world is probably wondering what the fuss is about, because these traditional approaches to pain relief have been around for thousands of years; Traditional Chinese Medicine, which relies on various techniques and herbs in order to balance the body’s internal energy, is over 5,000 years old.

Acupuncture: the ancient Chinese Practice of acupuncture is based on the belief that health is determined by the level of chi (vital life energy) that is in t he body. This energy is thought to move through the body through pathways called meridians, which connect to specific organs in the body. Acupuncturists insert needles into points on the body that connect to these channels to release blocked “chi” that might be the cause of pain. During acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist inserts thin needles for anywhere from a few minutes to a half an hour into specific points on the body. This practice is thought to stimulate endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and is useful for the treatment of a variety of disorders including backache, sinus pain, jaw pain, spinal disorders, withdrawal and mental disorders.

Herbs: another important part of traditional Chinese medicine is herbal medicine. Herbs have been used for centuries for their pain relieving qualities. Here are some herbs that are recommended for common disorders:

Cramps & Spasms: angelica, cramp bar, kava, rosemary, valerian root.

Nerve Pain: capsaicin, chamomile, gotu kola, licorice, white willow.

Back Pain: hops, wood betony, passionflower.

Migraine: feverfew, linden, skullcap.

Headaches: peppermint, spearmint.

Joint pain: ginger, sea cucumber.

Meditation: meditation, which has also been practiced for thousands of years, is a conscious attempt to calm the mind so that it is not cluttered with thoughts and anxieties that might be contributing to an unnecessary belief in the existence of pain. There are hundreds of different meditation techniques, but mostly they all into three categories: concentrative, mindful and transcendental meditation. During concentrative meditation, focusing on a single sound, object or one’s breath, produces tranquil mind that facilitates the production of pain-relieving endorphins. During mindful meditations, the mind is encouraged to become aware of, but not reactive to thoughts, feelings and sensations in order to achieve a tranquil state of mind.

Nutrition: eating a well balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables is thought to be the best way raise your pain threshold or resistance to pain. A deficiency in any of the main vitamins (A, B, C, D or E) can cause chronic pain. Vitamin E is used to treat joint pain. A deficiency in calcium, iron, magnesium and other minerals may also lower your pain threshold. A calcium magnesium supplement taken in a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium is thought to relieve joint pain and headaches. Manganese is a vitamin that is sometimes used for chronic headaches and neuralgia. A deficiency of the B vitamins is also thought to cause nervousness, headaches and chronic pain.

Aromatherapy: sniffing or applying essential oils is thought to change an individual’s brain chemistry so that pleasurable neuro-transmitters called endorphins are released to relieve pain. Geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme are oils commonly used for this purpose.

Guided Imagery: research has indicated that bodily functions that were previously thought to be beyond conscious control, such as chronic pain, can be controlled thorough the use of visualization. Guided imagery encourages the sufferer to think in pictures that eliminate negative thoughts thus raising levels of pleasurable brain chemicals, such as serotonin, decreasing anxiety and increasing the effectiveness of the immune system. Through guided imagery, the mind conjures up mental scenes in order to better direct the body’s energy. For instance, if an individual is suffering from a stabbing pain, he or she might want to imagine a knife being removed from the spot and a subsequent glowing feeling of relief. Guided imagery has been used successfully to manage the pain of headaches, sinus problems, arthritis and cancer.

Biofeedback combines a variety of relaxation methods, such as guided imagery and meditation with the use of instruments that monitor the individual’s responses to the therapy. After many treatments, biofeedback is thought to train the individual to consciously regulate autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and other processes that are commonly believed to be out of our control. During a session, electrodes connected to a monitoring unit are taped to the skin. The monitor measures skin temperature, pulse, blood pressure, muscle tension and brain activity to determine the success of the relaxation technique. Eventually, over time, biofeedback can train an individual to control the pain of such disorders as TMJ, headaches and migraines.

It is difficult to imagine a world without pain; where would our poetry come from? What would divas sing about? Given that pain is probably always going to be a part of our world, it is of critical importance that we understand the various methods that exist to manage that pain. For some of us, that remedy may lie in the traditional realm, while for others it will be through prescription drugs or some other alternative. Regardless of what remedy you choose, make sure you inform yourself of the various pain treatment options open to you, and by doing so, you may just reduce the amount of suffering in your life. And isn’t that, in some respect, the goal that we all strive towards?

It is important to note that the above suggestions do not represent cures for conditions, but more represent strategies and opportunities to manage your chronic pain. It is also recommended that you consult with your health practitioner before embarking on any new pain management program.