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The Role Of Chinese Herbal Formula In Order To Help Manage Canine Chronic Pain:
Chinese Herbs are famous for the ability to help manage the aches that may be experienced as we age.
Traditional Chinese herbal theory views chronic joint and muscle pain much differently than western medicine.Western medicine groups canine joint pain into the well known category of "arthritis".
Chinese theory does not deal with one single disease, rather, Chinese medicine uses the disease name of "pain", and uses various patterns to help treat joint pain. The overall disease name for joint of pain is; "bi-zheng"; which translates to the words, Painful Obstruction Syndrome.
Bì-zhèng, painful joint disease, as defined by Chinese herbal theory, is any localized pain disorder and/or pain syndromes. Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis , Hip Dysplasia,....etc...all fall under this broad disease category of bì-zhèng ...Painful Obstruction Syndrome. It's important to understand, Chinese herbal thoery, does not treat diseases the same as western medicine. We approach dog joint pain by looking at pain holistically. What does that mean exactly? It means, that we don't have one formula for every dog. It means we have formulas for canine joint pain, that are are symptoms that are grouped together, to form a Chinese herbal pattern.
When thinking in the terms of this disease category, there is a whole lot more to the notion of pain that must be considered, because unlike the medicine of the west, Traditional Chinese herbals have several different types of herbs to use, and the choice of which particular herb to employ is decided upon based on a pattern basis for your dog's joint aches and pains (arthritis, joint soreness, etc.
For severe and chronic pain (bi zheng) we use what are called wind-damp dispelling herbs so to help eliminate pathogens from the muscles and joints.
Traditional Chineseherbal classic texts don't mention the diseases you know as arthritis etc., but instead they provided us with a long and rich history of the various patterns that are associated with bodily aches and pains as well as what particular herbs should be used for each type of pattern. A pattern according to Chinese medicine is characterized as a bodily disharmony. A pattern of disharmony can be brought back into balance by food, herbs, massage etc.
Chinese Herbal Medicine And What They Can Do For Your Dog
1) Dispel wind and damp in order to relieve pain: These herbs strongly dispel exterior pathogenic factors of wind, cold and damp in order to help relieve pain.
2) Open peripheral channels and col laterals: these herbs eliminate stagnation as to address chronic and stubborn bi zheng (painful obstructions syndrome) which presents with decreased range of movement of the joints, decreased mobility of the extremities, bodily numbness, hemiplegia and paralysis.
3) Dispel wind and damp by strengthening the tendons and bones: these herbs enter the Liver and Kidney channels to tonify the tendons and bones. These herbs are used when the dog presents with pain, soreness and weakness which is of a deficiency nature as well as possible atrophy of soft tissue. (hence we also call this formula: Back/Hips Support: Liver/Kidney Deficiency)
What Type of Pain Pattern Does Your Dog Experience?
Bi Zheng (painful Obstruction) is attributed to exterior factors...this is a very easy concept to understand; Think about it this way; How many people do you know that will tell you that their joints hurt more when its cold or when its damp outside?
Traditional Chinese herbal theory is based firmly and fundamentally believes that the environment and the physical body have a very direct relationship to each other and says one affects the other and thus bi zheng (painful obstruction) is in most instances is caused by exterior pathogenic factors namely Wind, Cold and Dampness.
Since there are many different external factors that can cause painful obstruction syndrome, we must use many different formulas to treat the various types of bi zheng (painful obstruction syndrome) as listed below:
* Xing bi (mobil painful obstruction): Characterized by pain in the upper body, and the pain moves around and is not fixed,
* Tong bi (extremely painful obstruction) presents with noticeable cold signs and symptoms, and you will notice that the pain becomes worse when the weather is cold. The pain is fixed and localized to one area and is extremely painful.
* Zhuo bi (fixed painful obstruction) is pain that worsens when the weather becomes more damp, the pain is a feeling of heaviness and sinking, and the area of pain is fixed and located on the lower extremities
* Red bi (painful obstructions) which is characterized by a sensation of heat, redness, swelling as well as pain. This pattern is due to long term obstruction of channels by wind, cold or damp.
* Wan bi (painful obstruction) is caused by repetitive injuries to the same areas, causing stiffness, numbness, and lack of mobility.
* Wei bi (atrophic painful obstruction) is caused by deficiency of the TCM Liver and Kidney, with such presentations as atrophy, weakness, and pain of the muscles and bones.
* Xue bi: (blood painful obstruction) is due to the condition of the blood, and is characterized by dull achey pain due to blood failing to nourish the tendons and bones.
* Zhou bi (generalized painful obstruction) is characterized by generalized pain that also affects the bones and joints.
So as you see, we have many different patterns that will encompass pain, but don't worry we take the worry of selection out of your hands. At the time of purchase we prompt you to fill out a information form and from that we pick the right herbs for your dog!
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