Topic of Choice - Equestrian Acupuncture

For the blog post we have been asked to do on a topic of our choice, I chose to do horse acupuncture. I was recently in a car accident that required me to get physiotherapy, chiropractic work, and acupuncture. I had always been curious about acupuncture, and being an individual that is not scared of needles, I was more than willing to give this method of therapy a try, even if just for the experience. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicinal technique that involves inserting long thin needles into specific points all over the body. As my doctor explained it, the Chinese believe that the human body is a network of connections and electrical circuits that are all interrelated and can become blocked, or there is an incorrect flow of qi through the body's channels. My doctor was treating me for headaches, but put needles on the tops of my feet, the insides of my calves, and the tops of my hands! The feeling of acupuncture is one that is hard to describe. I was shocked at how these thin little needles could produce such a reaction inside my body. The point of the needles are to release endorphins at the insertion site. When I had needles in my back, it was very painful to move or contract the muscles they were in, so one must lie very still. Your muscles get very heavy and stiff while they are in, but this wears off. When my doctor put needles at my temples, I experienced a huge surge of very sharp pain that lasted a few minutes, but also eventually wore off. I do not mean to scare people who are contemplating acupuncture, it was definitely beneficial and a very cool experience. I almost never get headaches anymore, and the pros more than outweigh the cons. I would recommend it to anyone experiencing chronic pain, injuries, or migraines.

So, because of my experience, it got me thinking of animal acupuncture. I have heard that acupuncture on horses is a big up-and-coming industry, as it is a relatively simple way to ease back pain and treat injuries on such large animals. After doing some research on equestrian acupuncture, I have found that there are 5 basic types of acupuncture. There is Simple Needling, which is what I received with the long thin needles. There is Electroacupuncture, which is where the inserted needles are hooked up to an electrical circuit to further stimulate the problem area. There is Moxibustion, which is when a smoldering cigar of herbs is held above the acupuncture site until the heat becomes uncomfortable, it is removed for a short time, then reapplied. Another is laser stimulation, which is self explanatory, and the last method is Point Injection, where a liquid is injected into the site (usually a vitamin solution). This form of acupuncture provides longer term relief (Horse & Rider, 1999).

Healthy Veterinary Alternatives (2012). Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.healthyveterinaryalternatives.com/site/view/175317_Horses.pml

Horse acupuncture is a very detailed process, and explaining it all would far exceed the 4 paragraph limit. But in short, most horses whose owners seek this form of therapy have chronic pain or are suffering from an injury. Most vets recommend acupuncture only after other methods of rehabilitation have been tried and proved to be unsuccessful, as acupuncture is expensive and not many vets are qualified to do it. This method is mainly beneficial for horses whose tissue is constantly becoming more and more damaged with injuries such as a bowed tendon or laminitis, and in these cases acupuncture can be used along with other conventional treatments. Some owners of prestigious race horses have acupuncture done on their animals. This is done usually for the reason of relieving tension in the horse's back, where the needles are inserted alongside either side of the spine, and in other major muscle groups. The Stone Willow Veterinary Services are one organization that provide acupuncture on horses in Alberta.

This is a horse getting Electroacupuncture. De Qi Holistics (2012). Retrieved April 12, 2012 from  http://www.deqiholistics.com/what-is-acupuncture/equine-acupuncture-north-carolina-is-acupuncture-painful

Horse acupuncture is a very cool technique that is slowly becoming more and more popular among veterinarians. Something I would personally be concerned about if I were ever to have acupuncture done on my own horse ties back to that immense discomfort I felt when I got the needles in my back. The heavy sensation along with a sharp pain if the muscle group was moved even slightly would probably frighten most horses, and could end up doing more harm than good. Research about this has shown that most horses are not at all bothered by the needles, and become very relaxed even. Perhaps high strung horses are sedated before given the acupuncture. I hope that this is an area of medicine I can further explore if I get accepted into vet school (fingers crossed!).

Equisecrets (2012). Retrieved April 12, 2012 from  http://www.secrets-of-horse-training-success.com/equine-therapy.html

I will internally link to Hayley Kosolofski's blog, simply because she also loves horses and did her Wikipedia article on an topic pertaining to them :)

Reference:

Hayes, K. (1999, February). Equine Acupuncture: Is it for your horse? Horse and Rider.

Reflective Post

"We have to make our own blog, reallllllyyyyyy?" was my first thought when my professor said that one of the main components of ALES 204 would be to create a personal e-portfolio. My thoughts about blogs before this course were not exactly what one would call optimistic. I thought bloggers were mainly people who were far too opinionated and pretentious, and from the few blogs I had read I was not too excited about this task. Little did I know, there is a whole world of blogs tailored to my personal tastes and interests, and I have definitely increased my knowledge on multiple topics. Before this course, which is more or less a communications course, I was not aware of how truly naive I was about social media and the like. I personally think awareness is key in any situation, and I'm glad that even if I may not be an active user of some of the websites we were required to sign up for, at least I now know something about them. I had never even heard of Blogger.com, but it's strange how once you have been introduced to something you never paid attention to before, it seems to pop up in your daily life all the time. I see the Blogger logo in commercials and advertisements, and now it's more to me than an orange blob that never registered in my brain!

One of the most beneficial aspects of this course in my opinion was getting students used to navigating and understanding Twitter.com. Despite how much some people try to resist it, we have to accept that a technologically based future is inevitable. A frequent comment I hear is "Oh this social media. People are going to forget how to actually communicate in person and will just sit side by side and text each other." First of all, let's not be overly dramatic. Newer and younger generations may be fully immersed in technology and social media sites with their smart phones and ipads and kindles and what have you, but technology has so much relevance and importance in today and the future that such a cultural shift from string-and-tin-cup communication is necessary. Although most of the students (myself included) grumbled and whined about having to browse around twitter and follow people related to their field and tweet critically analytical responses to presentations or papers, being made to do such things has honestly only benefited me. The veterinarian I chose to follow on twitter tweets vet tips and facts all the time, and who knows if one day just being exposed to these tweets will help me gain entrance into vet school! If I was not required to put my thinking cap on and actually mull over topics and then talk about them in a tweet or blog post, I would still be in the dark about so many topics and events; an unfortunate fate. The list is endless on what I now know thanks to ALES 204! How to create a professional Facebook page, what a CV is, what SOPA is, what a pecha kucha is, links to making a good resume, what old journals looked like and how to use the library system. Endless I tell you!

                                       The Free Press (2012). Retrieved April 10, 2012 from http://usmfreepress.bangordailynews.com/2012/03/12/odonnell-the-unbearable-slightness-of-kony-2012/

The picture I chose to post may seem a bit out of place, but never fear, I have a reason for it. The Stop Kony 2012 movement may just be one of the first awareness campaigns that literally took the WORLD by storm. The video for Kony 2012 was posted on the evening of March 6th, and on the morning of March 7th, it had hundreds of thousands of views, likes, and shares. This got me thinking of how truly powerful social media is. This video would of not reached into as many parts of the world as it did in such a short amount of time if it was not for sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These sites have enabled the creators and participants of Invisible Children to share their message with millions of people in literally 2 days. That is amazing! I now follow Jason Russell on Twitter, and would never of been exposed to his constant updates if I had not been required to sign up for an account because of ALES 204.

The point of this post was to be critically reflective about what I have learned in the (incredibly!) short 3 months of this course. I really enjoyed how ALES 204 forced me to expand horizons that I otherwise would have never explored. Many people critique social media sites and the so-called communication barriers they have built, but I LOVE them. And not simply because they are a great source of entertainment/distraction from studying, but because I love seeing people connect and share ideas and thoughts and pictures and videos. Connecting with a person via a social media site in places like Dubai and South Africa have only made me a more cultured person who understands more about traditions and customs in other places. They have not turned me into a hibernating troll with no social skills. I also really enjoyed that this course made me stop being so lazy and actually put together a respectable resume, which I have used on several occasions thus far. Personally, I did not see the benefit behind some of the activities we had to do during the lecture, but I can understand the intended motivation behind them from a teacher's perspective. Overall, I am a far more knowledgable person about many different things than I was before this class, and I have furthered my critical thinking skills by realizing I should not be so gullible and should mull over what I read and develop an opinion and do research on said topic before coming to an ultimate decision.

I'm choosing to internally link to Marney Steadman's Blog, because we seem to have come to some of the same realizations about critical thinking :)

links to my 5 comments:

http://techhurtsmyhead.blogspot.ca/2012/04/interviewing-its-art.html?showComment=1334113028954


http://marneysteadmanales204-2012.blogspot.ca/2012/04/hello-again-this-week-in-my.html?showComment=1334113900394


http://ales204hecolstudent.blogspot.ca/2012/04/uses-of-tumblr.html?showComment=1334114297952


http://bbohlender.blogspot.ca/2012/04/blog-about-my-interests.html?showComment=1334251903963

http://lindsaygervais.blogspot.ca/2012/04/reflection-post.html?showComment=1334253503292

The Magical World of Wikipedia

Wikipedia is utilized by millions of people every week. It has grown to be one of the world's largest networks for basic and in-depth information on thousands of topics. Up until recently, I had no idea that the term "wiki" is a noun that refers to information that can be written and edited by ANY person who so chooses to do so. I think is the vital characteristic of wikipedia that has made it so popular throughout North America, if not throughout the entire world. The more I browsed around Wikipedia and learned how to edit and all of the processes and codes that are involved in creating an article on a topic, the more I thought about why other "wiki" sites are not as popular as Wikipedia. What about this website makes it so universal?

To start off, the homepage of Wikipedia allows visitors to choose from  one of 40 of the world's most spoken languages and view all the articles in their chosen language. This aspect allows Wikipedia to network in countries all over the world, a characteristic that I'm sure many wikis out there do not possess. Also, Wikipedia is not a specified site that focuses on one topic such as, for example, the medical field. It covers thousands of topics and is structured in such a way that makes the information user friendly. Most Wikipedia articles consistently have a: Background section, a section of the general characteristics of the topic, a History section, and then others such as Diagnosis, Causes, and Management sections, depending on the type of search done. Wikipedia also almost always has a literature cited or Reference list at the end of the article. I think the feature I like most about this site is that the information presented can be removed or edited if points made are untrue or biased. However, and I easily made a user account with Wikipedia and was editing my article within minutes, I was slightly alarmed at how easy this entire process was going to be. I held so much power in my hands...I could make up anything I wanted to and people would believe it! The world was my oyster. Maybe not, but it really helped me understand that the information a site such as this provides, while easy to read and gain a basic understanding, should NEVER be taken too literally. A more in depth analysis of any topic one is required to get factual information on should be taken from a journal article or the like.

While editing my article for Wikipedia, I found it somewhat difficult to provide an in depth reflection on my topic. Since I chose to do a viral disease, there is not much information that can be provided without going into personal experience with the disease. Also, since my chosen article provides symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments, and is quick straight forward about what Blain Distemper is, I found it difficult to include examples with explanation and analysis as the outline for this article suggests.

Wikipedia has opened up a world of general, easily accessible information that does not require the individual to trudge to their local library and haul out a dusty, gigantic encyclopedia. Wikipedia also provides more up-to-date information than can ever be present in a physical encyclopedia because new versions would constantly have to be printed to keep up with our constantly changing world. But, as with anything, let the consumer of knowledge beware, there is a reason Universities don't allow students to cite Wikipedia.

http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/blogs/library/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Wikipedia-facts-you-can-trust.jpg

    ( I'm not entirely sure who the man in my picture is, but I'm assuming this is a joke...hopefully...)

My external link will be to my own article I have edited on Wikipedia which can be found here.
I hope you are now more knowledgable on Animal Distemper :)

My internal link is to one of my classmates Jami Frederick, whose blog can be found here. I chose to link to her blog because she edited an article on Backleg, a bacterial infection in sheep and cattle, and therefore is something similar to my topic. We both sort of like animals :)

Why Facebook is important

This week we were asked to make a professional Facebook page as a kind of online business card for potential employers to reference. I think that such a thing is important for every up and coming academic not only to put their name out into the world, but also as a resource for others to track said person's interests and hobbies, as well as their perspective on many national and international issues. Facebook is an excellent way to share photos and just by simply clicking the "like" button on a page, one can follow postings made by individuals and organizations that are tailored to their own personal interests.

Facebook is a highly interactive site that allows people to update their status, post pictures and links, and "creep" other people's Facebook pages to learn a few things about them. (EVERYONE has creeped a page on at least one occasion, even you). I think the main use of Facebook is to keep in touch with people who you don't see on a regular basis, as you can learn about what is new in their lives just by reading their status updates. A downside to using Facebook in this way is that I find it almost becomes a popularity contest i.e. who has the most friends, whose life is the most exciting, who went to which party etc. On the other hand, Facebook can be used in a purely professional manner as a way for businesses and organizations to update people who are interested in them and also as a means of networking their respectful business. I think that the Edmonton Humane Society does a particularly excellent job of this on their Facebook page.

I think sites like Facebook are an extensive resource of knowledge, and even if the knowledge is not pertinent to one's degree or bachelor of whathaveyou, I find myself thinking in a more worldy fashion because of the way others think and interpret things.

For this ALES 204 assignment, the main goal that I perceived of having a professional page aside from a pre-existing personal Facebook page is that when you are applying for a particular job and the employer googles your name, what you don't want showing up are a bunch of pictures of you doing a keg stand. What you DO want is a respectful image of yourself to be portrayed through the images and content on your page that make you unique and PERFECT for said job. Making a page such as this will be useful for future careers because employers can learn more about me and the type of person I am simply by checking out my Facebook page which will have all of my most current and up-to-date information for them to reference.

The class that I am doing this all for has their own Facebook page! Check it out. http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALES-204-Dr-Laccetti/311657842204554?ref=ts

picture of my ALES 204 Facebook page

Intro to my lifeeeee

Hello!
My name is Erica Posteraro and I am in the Animal Health program majoring in Food Animals. It is my intention to apply to vet school at the end of next year in either Calgary or Saskatoon. My program provides all of the prerequisites required to gain access into vet school, along with enriching programs that give hands on experience with animals and people who are experts in animal production and maintenance fields. Ever since I was 4 years old, I wanted to be a ballet dancer, a teacher, and a vet...at the same time apparently. The ballet thing never happened, and teaching a concept is TRULY not one of my strong points, so we can all see what I was left with. I am extremely passionate about animals and their well-being, treatment, and overall health, and I think that going into the veterinarian profession is the only thing that will make me content with my life and I plan to pursue it with extreme gusto (I enjoy that word).

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Why would a person who so loves animals major in an area that involves making them into steaks?" Well, majoring in Food Animals involves much more than the simple processing of animals, but more so about developing innovative ways of ensuring their nutrition and food requirements are met, and that each and every 4-legged creature is treated with the utmost respect it's ENTIRE life, among other things. :)

This here is my horse and my kitty, the only 2 trustworthy males I have discovered thus far...

my own personal album

my own personal album

 Although I don't like to wholeheartedly admit it, technology and social media are a vitally integral part of our current society, and along with it comes numerous benefits and drawbacks (I believe the first outweighs the latter). In my current work and studies, electronic communication is an absolute necessity  when it comes to handing out/in assignments, learning course content, and researching topics that are pertinent to the courses. The gradual shift of teachers communicating to their students various aspects of the course via computer is the most efficient and logical way to send out a unanimous message to masses of people. As far as social media goes, I think it helps people stay connected who otherwise wouldn't, and it also provides many opportunities for people to share recent experiences and, in the academic world, recent discoveries and innovations. In the future, communication of ideas and of even newer technologies will always be important as the world becomes increasingly integrated and the population continues to grow.

As for the role of communication in my future field of study, I believe that every medical profession relies heavily on innovations of others in their field, and the only way to mass communicate these ideas is by some form of electronic communication. This site here has FASCINATING blogs of up-to-date information in the world of medicine. I do not, however, believe that those in the medical fields should come to rely so heavily upon technology that one can no longer express ideas without having a keyboard in front of them.

I would like to link to Jami Frederick's blog, another student in ALES 204, and also a friend of mine who has common interests, to say the least :)

Until next time!

EP