Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians

Watch this video to learn more about the Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians course:

Check out this video with the MAV Course Director performing an acupuncture treatment:

2010 Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians Program Dates:
Session I: February 3–7, 2010
Session II: March 3–7, 2010
Session III: April 7–11, 2010
Session IV: May 5–8, 2010

2011 Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians Program Dates:
Session I:  February 9–13, 2011
Session II: March 2–6, 2011
Session III: April 6–10, 2011
Session IV: May 4–7, 2011

Learn from a scientific, evidence-based curriculum

Medical acupuncture entered the veterinary profession 10 years ago, and has since flourished as a highly respected and popular treatment modality, due in large part to its intelligent and rational foundation. Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians offers a complete, 140-hour continuing education program for veterinarians and qualified veterinary students. The scientific curriculum builds a strong foundation that veterinarians need to achieve the best results. Setting higher standards for veterinarian acupuncturists advances the profession’s capacity to make meaningful progress in acupuncture research, practice and education.

Lectures and laboratories will be held at the Fort Collins Marriott in Fort Collins, CO, CSU Equine Center and on the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences campus in Fort Collins.

The registration brochure for the 2010 program will be mailed in August 2009. You can access a PDF version by clicking here. Call CVMA at 303.318.0447 for more information.

Program Goals for Attending Clinicians:

• Learn acupuncture neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.
• Study in detail the connections between acupuncture points and various neural structures, and how stimulation of these sites initiates restorative physiologic changes within the animal.
• Employ effective treatments built on straightforward principles and time-honored strategies.
• Identify patients’ problems earlier and treat them more effectively.
• Master the art and science of veterinary acupuncture through a challenging and rigorous curriculum.
• Start your acupuncture career with state-of-the-art information.
• Discover the joy of practicing veterinary acupuncture where your patients love to see you!

The Curriculum:

Session I establishes a firm footing on a solid foundation of contemporary acupuncture anatomy and physiology.
Session II embarks on the journey of linking the structure-function relationships developed in Session I to clinical outcomes, setting the stage for Session III and IV.
Sessions III and IV take students into the clinical application phase of the course by interweaving acupuncture anatomy, physiology, and evidence-based insights. Participants learn how to design and implement acupuncture treatments on live animals, working in small groups under the supervision of experienced clinical preceptors.

• Ample hands-on laboratory sessions on both small and large animals provide ongoing opportunities to refine acupuncture point locating skills and patient assessment methods.
• Adjunctive approaches such as soft tissues treatments and rehabilitative techniques further expand the multifaceted curriculum.
• Course faculty monitor students’ mastery of information via small groups, class discussion, and examinations.All participants will receive a DVD of Virtual Canine Anatomy (an interactive multimedia anatomical instruction program) and a CD-ROM on veterinary neurobiology for neuroanatomy review.
• Participants also receive an interactive canine and equine point-finding CD-ROM containing the topographical locations of acupuncture points, complete with flash-card self-testing options. All were produced at the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Specify PC or Mac software versions when you register.
• Curriculum and faculty developed by the International Academy of Veterinary Medical Acupuncture, headed by Narda G. Robinson, DO, DVM, MS.

Registration materials for the 2010 Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians program will be available in August 2009. For more information about the Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians program, call the CVMA office at 303.318.0447 or e-mail info@colovma.org.

Download the complete 2010 Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians Brochure here (3.3Mb PDF)
 
Session Descriptions:
 
Session I February 3–7, 2010
Foundations of Acupuncture Anatomy and Physiology
• Acupuncture neuroanatomy
• Acupuncture neurophysiology
• Comparative acupuncture anatomy and challenges
• Pain physiology and acupuncture analgesia
• Acupuncture needling laboratory
• Acupuncture safety
• Important canine and equine point locations
• Somatovisceral and viscerosomatic reflexes and acupuncture
• Canine neurologic examination review
• Treatment demonstrations
• Trigger point therapy and palpation; the myofascial palpation examination
• Gold bead implants exposed
• Point-finding laboratories

Session II March 3–7, 2010
The Beauty of Structure-Function Parallels in Acupuncture
• TCM: An instrument of the Communist Revolution – A critical review of a misunderstood approach
• Electroacupuncture: Research, techniques, safety
• Five Phases: Disentangling the valid from the fanciful
• Master, influential, and command points from a neurophysiologic perspective
• Somatovisceral convergence, the autonomic nervous system, and homeostatic acupuncture points
• Special considerations regarding acupuncture in farm animals / animals used for food
• Special considerations for feline acupuncture and analgesia
• Eight singular vessels and their neurovascular relationships
• The Diagnostic Acupuncture Palpation Exam (DAPE) in horses; what it tells us
• Point-finding laboratories

Session III April 7–11, 2010
Medical Acupuncture Treatments for Specific Conditions:
Evidence, Anatomy, and Treatment Rationales
• Acupuncture for spinal pain, extremity pain, neurologic disorders, cardiopulmonary conditions,head and neck disorders, digestive conditions, reproductive problems and urinary tract disorders
• Equine neurology review and acupuncture approaches
• Saddle fit lecture and laboratory
• Moxibustion laboratory
• Neuromodulation with low level laser therapy
• How to give an “introduction to medical acupuncture” lecture
• The multi-layered placebo effect
• Critical evaluation of acupuncture research
• Creating a space for healing
• Soft tissue manual therapy lecture and laboratory
• Working with fascia: An experiential simulation of fascial texture

Session IV May 5–8, 2010
Course Wrap-Up and Testing
• Your brain on acupuncture: the latest information from functional brain imaging research
• Exotic animal acupuncture lecture and laboratory
• Acupuncture for cancer patients: Separating fact from fiction
• View from the trenches: Legal consent and legislative concerns
• Equine back pain and acupuncture
• Animal rehabilitation: Safety and techniques

Course size is limited to ensure high-quality instruction for all participants.

Note: Lecture sequences may vary from year to year.

Already taken Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians? Click here for information on the Acupuncture Refresher and Update Course.