Traditional Chinese medicine provides Dr. Sally Barchman an opportunity to create a unique pain management treatment plan for each veterinary patient.
Dr. Barchman performing acupuncture with her dog. | Photo courtesy of Troy Van Horn.
For Sally Barchman, DVM, CVA, owner of State Line Animal Hospital and Holistic Health in Leawood, Kansas, her interest in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine stems from honoring the memory of a late colleague and friend. Today, inside the spa-like atmosphere of her integrative medicine space, pets in pain find relief.
I was practicing in the main hospital and it wasnt as zen I imagined it could be. So now in the space we have a running fountain and use an essential oil diffuser, and the walls are in a softer-color paint. We have the tools that we need but try to keep it minimalistic, Dr. Barchman says. Soft music and comfortable rugs on the floor and exam table complete the space, which is in a leased building across the street from the main hospital.
Traditional Chinese medicine is composed of five components: acupuncture, food therapy, Chinese herbs, exercise and tui na, which is a type of massage. At Dr. Barchmans practice, instead of massage, a chiropractor not only performs chiropractic adjustments on the animals but also does deep tissue manipulation and myofascial release. Dr. Barchman is certified in veterinary acupuncture and is also working toward her certification in food and Chinese herbs.
When an animal presents with signs of pain, Dr. Barchman completes a traditional exam, but then also checks the pets tongue and pulse diagnosis to direct her treatment plan.
A view of Dr. Barchman's treatment space. | Photo courtesy of Troy Van Horn.
You look at the tongues color and whether it is dry or wet, and feel the strength and speed of their pulses, to see whats going on, she says. Dr. Barchman also discusses food and Chinese herbs with clients in addition to acupuncture.
There are yin and yang properties in every food, so if an animal presents with hot signs, you want to cool them down; with cool signs you want to warm them up. This can be done with things like changing up the protein in the pets dry food or home-cooking meals, she says.
When combined with food and herbs, acupuncture can be performed less frequently, Dr. Barchman says. Acupuncture is the more expensive part of it, so if we can use food and herbs to help balance out the body, the acupuncture treatments can be done less often, she says.
The plan is tailored to what each patient and client needs and is able to do. If a client says I just cant cook for my pet right now, well discuss other options, Dr. Barchman explains.
The essential oils that Dr. Barchman diffuses in her treatment space. | Photo courtesy of Troy Van Horn.
It depends on whats going with that animal on that day. It goes a little deeper than just giving an NSAID and moving on, Dr. Barchman says. Whatever the client wants to do is what well do and what works best for the animal. Well often try a combination of Eastern and Western medicine. I tell the client, A quick fix is medication, but it doesnt always fix the underlying cause. So sometimes if its a really painful condition well start with medication but then follow up with acupuncture and herbs to try and get them off the medication eventually or prevent the condition from occurring again.
The flexibility of combining alternative and traditional therapies allows Dr. Barchman to provide a complete solution for each patients she sees, she says. And even though these modalities typically require follow-up appointments over a period of time, she doesnt have problems with client compliance. Usually the people who are seeking out holistic care are really dedicated, so we dont have too much of a problem with people not coming back, she says. One thing that helps is that often, especially with painful conditions, results are seen after just one session, she says.
Thats not always the case, though, so Dr. Barchman came up with a package plan to encourage follow-through. If people buy four follow-up treatments, they receive half off of their consult price. In five treatments you should see whats going to happen, so I encourage the package. If they arent really believers I try to have more than just one treatment to have a chance to help the animal, Dr. Barchman says.
Our purpose is loving on people by loving on their pets through high-quality, integrative medicine, Dr. Barchman says. So well tailor the plan to whatever the client wants to do.
Read this article:
A soothing experience: Custom pain management through alternative therapies - dvm360
- How Integrative Medicine is helping a teen battle Sickle Cell Disease - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - February 8th, 2024
- Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine - January 14th, 2024
- Integration of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) in the Institutionalization of Evidence ... - World Health Organization - January 14th, 2024
- A holistic approach to integrative medicine - Mayo Clinic Press - November 16th, 2023
- Integrative Medicine: What Is It, Types & Benefits | Fullscript - October 16th, 2023
- What is Integrative Medicine? - Andrew Weil, M.D. - DrWeil.com - October 16th, 2023
- Integrative Medicine - UF Health - October 16th, 2023
- What is integrative medicine (IM)? - Medical News Today - May 17th, 2023
- Houston Integrative Medicine - May 17th, 2023
- Journal of Integrative Medicine | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - April 23rd, 2023
- ScienceDirect.com | Science, health and medical journals, full text ... - December 27th, 2022
- Highlighted Efforts by Tata Memorial Centre and Centre for Integrative Medicine and ... - Latest Tweet by - LatestLY - December 27th, 2022
- Integrative Medicine Research | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - November 24th, 2022
- About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products | Memorial Sloan Kettering ... - November 16th, 2022
- Integrative Medicine Board Certification | ABPS - American Board of ... - October 21st, 2022
- Fellowship: Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine - October 13th, 2022
- UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center - Central Park - October 13th, 2022
- New Guideline on Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology - Cancer Therapy Advisor - October 13th, 2022
- 'What the Duck' display lands in Downtown Middletown and beyond - FOX61 Hartford - October 13th, 2022
- AIHM Annual Conference Features More than 50 International Leaders in Integrative Health and Medicine - Benzinga - October 13th, 2022
- Gaia Herbs celebrates 35 year legacy with coveted sustainability certification and Gaia PRO launch - EurekAlert - October 13th, 2022
- The Chopra Foundation and its Never Alone Initiative, partner with the tech-based social impact start-up, Seva.Love, and The Girl Generation to Launch... - October 13th, 2022
- Are Tomatoes Bad For Arthritis? Here's What An MD Has To Say - Women's Health - October 4th, 2022
- At Columbia, Integrative Therapy for Children with Cancer Is Mainstream - Columbia University Irving Medical Center - October 4th, 2022
- Integrative Health or Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Size and Forecast to 2029 -Arab Yoga Found - openPR - October 4th, 2022
- Potential Health Benefits of Lion's Mane Mushroom - Everyday Health - October 4th, 2022
- How I Finally Found A Way To Manage My Anxiety - Women's Health - October 4th, 2022
- What Is Psoriasis And Can It Be Treated? - Forbes - October 4th, 2022
- Regent candidates discuss their ideas at Faculty Senate forum | The University Record - The University Record - October 4th, 2022
- The Administration Announced Ending Hunger, Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Reducing Diet- - Benzinga - October 4th, 2022
- VOC Port will be transformed into transhipment hub: Union Minister Sonowal - The New Indian Express - October 4th, 2022
- Choose integrative medicine for health and wellness - Technique - September 25th, 2022
- Integrating the Best from All Medical Disciplines and Fighting Medical Fascism - The Douglass Update Launches Fully Integrated Med-Sciences Education... - September 25th, 2022
- I'm An M.D. & This Is The Supplement I Trust For Consistently Deep Sleep - mindbodygreen - September 25th, 2022
- NMC bats for integration of modern medicine with Ayush - The Hindu - September 25th, 2022
- They Hold The Third Meeting Of Traditional And Complementary Medicine - World Nation News - September 25th, 2022
- Deepak Chopra & Seva.Love Announce "ChopraVerse: House of Enlightenment," the Metaverse for Wellbeing in Collaboration with Utopia - PR... - September 25th, 2022
- The effectiveness of pharmacopuncture in patients with LSS | JPR - Dove Medical Press - September 25th, 2022
- Study Reignites Debate on the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression - The Epoch Times - September 25th, 2022
- Allergic to the world: can medicine help people with severe intolerance to chemicals? - The Guardian - September 25th, 2022
- Integrative Medicine - September 16th, 2022
- Jacksonville nurse practitioner writes book on how to use integrative medicine in your daily life - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX - September 16th, 2022
- Integrative health podcast and video series Word of Mouth, season two released! - PR Newswire - September 16th, 2022
- Where Will the Massage Industry Be in Five Years? - Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies - September 16th, 2022
- The Plogging Habits That Slow Aging, Science Reveals Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - September 16th, 2022
- These are the First Signs of an Autoimmune Disease Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - September 16th, 2022
- Study: Dark berry blend linked to improved sleep, stress, physical health - NutraIngredients-usa.com - September 16th, 2022
- Signs There is Something Wrong With Your Gut Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - September 16th, 2022
- Can your brain improve? Modern medicine says yes, if you get proper testing and treatment - Billy Penn - September 16th, 2022
- CU Anschutz Researchers Part of National Effort to Rapidly Boost AI in Medical Research - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus - September 16th, 2022
- Ingenious Ideas to Add Coconut Oil Into Your Beauty and Health Routine - News18 - September 16th, 2022
- Carlos III, the lover of homeopathy - Gearrice - September 16th, 2022
- Elevating Practitioner Skills and Enhancing Patient Experience: The Institute for Functional Medicine and Rupa Heath Announce New Partnership -... - September 8th, 2022
- Thailand heightens its healthcare hub ambition with integrative medicine - PR Newswire - September 8th, 2022
- What Is Dirty Energy In Your Home And What Can You Do About It? - House Digest - September 8th, 2022
- 5 Ways to Add Years to Your Life Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - September 8th, 2022
- I Went Bald After My First PregnancyHeres What It Taught Me About Hair Loss - Well+Good - September 8th, 2022
- Little-Known Habits That Decrease Your Deadly Cancer Risk Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - September 8th, 2022
- Cultivating a Culture of Wellness in the Higher Ed Workplace - UNLV NewsCenter - September 8th, 2022
- Q&A: Before St. Pete show, Alec Benjamin talks John Mayer, his fascination with Mandarin Chinese, and more - Creative Loafing Tampa - September 8th, 2022
- tHE association between LAF-AGEs and osteopenia | MDER - Dove Medical Press - September 8th, 2022
- UNCA and Asheville clinics priortize inclusive healthcare The Blue Banner - The Blue Banner - September 8th, 2022
- Salutogenesis institute launched in Puducherry - The Hindu - August 30th, 2022
- Signs You May Have COVID in Your Gut After Infection Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - August 30th, 2022
- With Expanded Outdoor Features, Lifestyle Healing Institute Integrates Traditional and Holistic Medicine - GlobeNewswire - August 30th, 2022
- Sure Signs Your Immune System Isn't as Strong as it Should Be Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - August 22nd, 2022
- Jefferson doctors publish new book, 'Tapestry of Health,' with tips on wellness - On top of Philly news - Billy Penn - August 22nd, 2022
- Qualities Clinicians Need to Have to Deliver Integrative Care - HealthLeaders Media - August 22nd, 2022
- Can You Really Drink Too Much Water? We Investigated - mindbodygreen - August 22nd, 2022
- The Breathing Trick That Could Help You Fall Asleep Almost Instantly - Newsweek - August 22nd, 2022
- The Global Nutrigenomics Market is expected to grow by $ 690.14 mn during 2022-2026, accelerating at a CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period -... - August 22nd, 2022
- The Relationship Between the Blood-Brain-Barrier and the Central Effec | DMSO - Dove Medical Press - August 22nd, 2022
- Zinc side effects: Signs of overdose and how to treat it - Insider - August 22nd, 2022
- IICT to be involved in anti-virus mission & public, private partnerships for developing APIs - The Hindu - August 22nd, 2022
- Study of more than 150,000 people identifies - EurekAlert - August 22nd, 2022
- Detection Of Rare Genetic Mutation In A Family Could Lead To Better Diabetes Treatment - Nation World News - August 22nd, 2022
- 6 Worst Eating Habits Causing Inflammation and Aging You Faster - Eat This, Not That - August 22nd, 2022
- How to End the Mass Formation (VIDEO) - The Epoch Times - August 22nd, 2022
- New UCI-led research reveals the circadian clock influences cell growth, metabolism and tumor progression - Newswise - August 14th, 2022
- Winged Scapula - A Body Builders Woe: Causes, Signs And Treatment - Boldsky - August 14th, 2022