A Multimodal Approach

At the Sams Clinic our focus is the diagnosis of painful conditions, acute and chronic, and their treatment, using multiple modalities, including lifestyle approaches such as diet, exercise, supplementation as well as physical therapy. Having an orthopaedic surgeon, a neurosurgeon, a pain management specialist and a canine rehabilitation therapist at the same clinic gives us a great advantage in caring for our patients with chronic pain.

Chronic Pain

Because pain is a clinical symptom of an underlying condition or disease, to treat it effectively, it's essential to accurately diagnose the underlying condition or disease before proceeding to the treatment. By far the most common form of chronic pain in small animals is osteoarthritis (OA). It's estimated that OA affects 20% of all dogs in the U.S. Somewhere between 15 and 20 million dogs. OA is a complex disease that varies widely in its severity and clinical presentations.

We've listed some of the chronic pain conditions we treat at The Sams Clinic. If you don't see your pet's condition, please call us.

• Osteoarthritis Pain
• Cancer Pain
• Intervertebral Disc Disease
• Limb Amputation
• Chronic Ear Pain—Associated with ear infections
• Chronic Eye Pain—Associated with glaucoma or corneal ulceration
• Neuropathic Pain
• Chronic Episodic Pancreatitis
• Myofascial Pain

Acupuncture

Dr. Hawley's approach to acupuncture is grounded in successful clinical results. Where traditional acupuncturists see meridians Dr. Hawley sees nerve pathways. By placing needles at specific points along these pathways, he triggers small, localized inflammatory responses that stimulate the body's natural healing response and override pain.

Pharmacological Therapy

We realize that you may have concerns about medicating your pet. In taking advantage of the huge potential pharmacological therapy has to diminish pain, at The Same Clinic, we purposefully use a number of medications for a patient. This allows us to reduce the dosage of each medication, thereby limiting the side effects of each.

Other Modalities

• Cold Laser Therapy: When surgery or pharmacological therapies are not recommended, low intensity cold laser can be an excellent alternative. It stimulates blood flow in the treated areas, which can decrease pain and inflammation and stimulate healing.

   

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): This therapy can potentially reduce chronic or acute pain, especially in cases where the desired treatment does not include surgery or medications. The electrical signals from the TENS devise override pain signals going to the brain and spinal cord. This break in the cycle can reduce the pain sensation and lead to an increase in comfort.
• Lifestyle Modification: A significant portion of dogs that have chronic pain conditions stemming from osteoarthritis are overweight, so losing weight may help to decrease the pain associated with OA. Additionally, specific diets and nutritional supplementation have been shown to help. Controlled exercise and environmental modifications can improve the quality of life for both you and your pet.
• Stem Cell Therapy: Vet-Stem®isolates regenerative cells from your pet's own fat for treatment of tendons, ligaments and joints. It can be effective in reducing chronic pain due to conditions such as OA.
• Hydrotherapy: Swimming has long been recognized as a beneficial form of non-weight bearing exercise. The Sams Clinic offers canine conditioning and post-operative surgical care through our state-of-the-art SwimEx hydrotherapy pool and underwater treadmill. Therapy with the underwater treadmill can be particularly beneficial as our rehabilitation specialist can customize the amount of weight a particular joint bears.
• Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy: Massage, acupuncture, cold laser and trigger point injections can relieve painful soreness in overworked muscles. Young performance dogs or older dogs dealing with orthopaedic and/or neurologic disease can benefit from trigger point therapy.