by Ava Frick, DVM, CAC
Keeping a body healthy these days can be difficult. Our pets are exposed to many chemicals and toxins and the food system is, for the most part, very processed degrading the true food nutrient value. Getting a body healthy once it has started to falter can be even trickier. It becomes a see-saw trying to balance the aspects of wellness. A little too much of this or not enough of that and your pet is sick again. At Pet Rehab & Pain Clinic we focus on a 4 Columns to Wellness approach: Motion, Nutrition, Recovery, and Behavior are those columns from which we develop our treatment approach.
MOTION – A body needs to be kept in motion. Joints that become stagnant, and lose the ability to rotate, slide, or glide, will soon become arthritic and painful. Pain restricts willingness to move further compounding the situation as muscles begin to atrophy. In as little as one week atrophy can commence making the movement of affected joints even more difficult. Getting a body back into motion can include massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, therapy to release restrictions and pain, nutritional support, water treadmill, and home exercise programs.
NUTRITION – Everything that goes wrong has a nutritional component. A vitamin(s) or mineral (s) too low or too high, inadequate amino acids because of not getting any real meat or not enough variety of meat (our cats and dogs have carnivorous bodies), excess carbohydrate load, poor energy quality, and the list goes on. Nutrition is even involved in pain. Yes, lack of adequate vitamin stores will leave the body open to higher pain. This column effect the other three and overall outcome of everybody no matter who, no matter what.
RECOVERY – Once something has gone wrong, an injury, surgery, chronic illness, or infection, the body has to begin the recovery process. There are many aspects to this and our pets now have the opportunity to experience more choices than before. It starts with nutrition, improving the capacity of the body to mend, greatly reducing the pain prior to asking them to start exercising, and then gently introducing at gradients therapy, movement, and before long the pet is better again.
BEHAVIOR – Emotions are attached to everything. While we are off at work or having an evening out our dogs are at home wondering when we will reappear. Our cats are concerned about the fact that they are starting to see the bottom of their food dish and the only way it gets filled is for us to return. Pain alters behavior. Deficient tissue calcium and magnesium and an excess of tissue sodium leaves a body in an emotional can going around and around yet no way out. Nervous, hyperactive, upset, and anxious are just a few of the symptom traits we see with this mineral pattern. A simple test on a fur sample can detect where the problem lies and how to best correct it. Combining those results with Alpha-Stim microcurrent therapy, and a behavior consultant’s life modification suggestions can open up that can and let the happiness flow again.
Getting to a state of wellness is not always easy and doesn’t necessarily happen overnight but then the altered state didn’t get there overnight either. Taking the first step to new choices will put your pet on the road to best recovery.
For more information contact:
Ava Frick, DVM, CAC
Pet Rehab & Pain Clinic
www.AnimalRehabStLouis.com
636-489-5350