Samantha has run behaviour and pain management clinics at Glasgow and Edinburgh Veterinary Schools since 1997. She teaches acupuncture to vets and the medical profession, pain management and behaviour therapy to veterinary surgeons and, in 2006, published the only book with a Western scientific approach to acupuncture with her medical colleague, Mike Cummings. The pain clinic at Glasgow Veterinary School uses a variety of techniques, mostly orthodox, all evidence based as far as possible to help both animals and owners manage chronic pain problems.

Many small animal patients suffer from chronic pain without their owners even noticing. This unique, two-day course will consider the different types of chronic pain seen in both dogs and cats and discuss some of the different methods available to alleviate suffering.

The course will specifically cover:

Sources and the neurophysiological basis of chronic pain problems

Some practical techniques to assess the extent of pain and suffering

Practical pharmacological approaches to chronic pain management Myofascial pain (i.e. muscle pain), identification, relevance and treatment, including stretch and pressure techniques

The importance of physical interaction, touch, acupressure and massage from a neurophysiological standpoint

The relevance, science and use of “gadgets” such as laser, TENS and Transcutaneous Spinal Electroanalgesia

Using live animals, delegates will practice techniques such as myofascial pain identification, stretch techniques, massage and touch as well as the overall assessment of suffering and planning a treatment programme.

By the end of this course, delegates should have a thorough understanding of:

• How to recognise chronic pain in small animal patients

• How to palpate skeletal muscle to identify myofascial pain

• Myofascial pain assessment and treatment techniques

• How to perform touch and massage/acupressure

• How to plan a programme to involve pharmacological, physical and owner oriented approaches