Mercury in Retrograde? Acupuncture

Whoops! Just realized the last week of May that I didn’t get a May newsletter done. We’ve been a bit busy, I guess. We also learned something from a client that we think explains a lot of the troubles we’ve been having this month so I’ll lead off the newsletter with a little tidbit that may be of interest to you.

Mercury in Retrograde: We had never heard of this until we were about a week into its cycle and we mentioned all the weird discombobulations we’d been experiencing—last minute changes in appointments, problems changing our credit card processor over, delays in shipping of ordered products, etc—to a client who matter-of-factly said “Oh, Mercury is in retrograde”. We did some research and found it very interesting! Apparently, “Mercury in retrograde” is a phenomenon where Mercury appears to be moving backwards along its usual path in the sky in relation to faster moving objects around it, because of its orbit. It is said that “Mercury rules all types of communication, including listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, selling, and buying. Mercury also rules all formal contracts and agreements, as well as important documents such as book manuscripts or term papers, agreements, deeds, contracts, leases, wills, and so forth. Included under this planet’s domain are all types of code, including computer codes, as well as transportation, shipping, and travel. When this planet retrogrades, these areas tend to get scrambled or spin out of control. Why does this happen? When a planet retrogrades, astrologically it is in a resting or sleeping state. Therefore, while Mercury naps, the activities that it governs don’t have the benefit of a well-functioning, wide-awake planet to supervise them.” (Astrologyzone.com)

So if you noticed during much of the month of May that things seemed to not be going quite right, getting scrambled, or just being frustrating, perhaps this is the explanation. And in case you want to keep track, to maybe avoid contracts or important negotiations during this time, here are the next dates this year for Mercury in Retrograde: August 30 – September 22, 2016 and Dec 19 2016 – Jan 8, 2017.

Acupuncture in Pets: It’s time for some information on acupuncture and how it works in pets.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that involves stimulating particular anatomical points on the body with needles. Aquapuncture involves injecting saline, vitamins, or other safe substances into the points. Tui-Na is a type of massage that can incorporate the points which can also be stimulated using Acupressure. Electrostimulation is the act of applying a mild electrical current to the needles while they are inserted into the points. All of these techniques and more are used in animals to treat a variety of different problems. Traditionally, acupuncture is used to balance the pet’s energies, or Constitution, and a full Chinese exam incorporating femoral artery pulses, tongue appearance, and more is used to determine the correct points to use. Many modern treatments are based more on anatomy and the nervous system’s function to choose points with direct functional connection to the area of concern. Here at Whole Health Pet Center, we incorporate features of both forms for best results.

We may use acupuncture alone to treat problems, or in combination with nutritional adjustments (including Chinese Food Therapy), chiropractic, or cold laser. One thing to know about acupuncture is that it is not an immediate fix. It can take up to two months of weekly treatments to see the full effects of a course of acupuncture, so pet owners need to understand that the changes will be gradual. Commitment to the full initial course of acupuncture is important to truly determine how much the pet can be helped. Once the pet is showing a steady level of improved function between treatments, they will begin to be spaced further apart. While some pets may just need occasional “tune-ups” a few times a year, most end up needing treatments every 4-8 weeks to continue managing their problems. So what kind of problems can benefit from acupuncture treatments? Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat nerve problems (like disc problems in the back), pain (arthritis, hip dysplasia), and organ function. It can stimulate appetite in pets with kidney disease, liver disease, or undergoing chemotherapy. It is wonderful at helping older pets move better with less pain, and can often result in less medication being used to treat pain which will help older pets live longer with less organ damage. Pets who have become paralyzed or weak from bulging discs in their spine can often regain part or all of their function with stimulation of the nerves from acupuncture. While pets with allergies, behavior problems, or dementia may show some improvement from acupuncture, usually it is only supplementary to other treatments in these patients.

As far as cancer is concerned, here at Whole Health Pet Center we will only directly address the cancer using acupuncture if the pet owner signs a release form, since stimulation of tissues with needles can cause increased blood supply to local tissues, which we usually don’t want to do in the location of a tumor. But it can help with quality of life issues when used carefully in these patients. It can be supportive of appetite and provide a general sense of well-being. If you’d like to learn more about acupuncture and whether it can help your pet, give us a call at 816-331-1868 and we’ll schedule an exam to help determine the best course.

Don’t forget to find Whole Health Pet Center on Facebook! You can also check in when you bring your pet in and leave reviews on our page!