Pain Assessment

Pain assessment is the cornerstone of treatment at Sea Legs Integrative Veterinary Health.  It includes a traditional physical exam, as well as a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) exam.  The TCVM exam takes into account a patient’s history, personality, physical and emotional health.   It also includes a thorough orthopedic and neurologic exam, including muscle measurements, muscle engagement assessment, and compensatory techniques and issues.  The goal of a pain assessment is to identify a problem list of appropriate differential diagnoses, a list of impairments and dysfunctions, and a baseline of outcome measurements.  Finally, the pain assessment assesses the emotional needs of the patient, and the outcome goals for both the patient and owner.  Time dependent, the assessment may also include a short trial of various proposed therapies.