VASG

04/09/2018

It has been quite some time since I have sent a message to the group; life has been extremely hectic and time has not allowed me to make a major contribution to the site until now.

Rest assured, I am making contributions to the resource library, web page content, and fielding email questions from users on a weekly basis but I have had too many commitments to establish the full structure for our planned certification program or conduct a comprehensive rewrite of all web content; the site is quite large and I am the sole webmaster.

The general motto of the VASG is “Do what you can, when you can”; we all contribute based upon what life will allow.

I did want you to know that I have recently updated the VASG homepage: it now features a summary of options for how the US veterinary profession can best cope with the ongoing opioid shortage.

It also includes a new Timely Topic that summarizes our practice’s experience with Cerenia (maropitant) given PO the evening before our patients undergo anesthesia or procedural sedation.

See:
http://vasg.org/
http://vasg.org/timely_topics_cerenia.htm

We appreciate your support of the site. Keep your ideas coming; I use your input to prioritize my efforts.

Kind Regards,

Dr. Bob Stein

--
Fear Free Certified
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner
Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist
Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist
Diplomate, Academy of Integrative Pain Management
Past-President, International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management
VIN Consultant Editor, Anesthesia/Analgesia & Rehab/Chronic Pain Boards

Executive Director www.VASG.org
www.ManagingPetPain.com
www.ASAH.net

"Do No Harm - But First, Do Not Hurt."

This site is maintained by veterinary professionals who have made a commitment to anesthetic and pain management excellence. We want this site to be a centralized resource for our colleagues engaged in small animal private practice.

04/17/2014

A very kind client recently nominated my staff for an award. If you
follow the link below you will see my picture but that only serves as an image that represents our staff and the work that we all do not just to help patients that walk through our doors but the countless hours that we have spent to support our colleague via regional educational opportunities, VIN, and the VASG.

If you would kindly consider voting for us I believe that it would do more than reflect well on our team. More importantly, I believe it could help us spread the word about the VASG and the theme of advanced anesthesia, pain management, and rehabilitative care in veterinary medicine across the globe.

In addition, if you could spread the word to your friends and colleagues it may just make the difference between success and a lost opportunity.

http://www.petsbest.com/vote

You can vote once a day.

You can also vote via Facebook but you would need to "like" the page before it will allow you to cast a ballot:

http://www.facebook.com/petsbestinsurance

Bob

Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware insurance company. Independence American Insurance Company is a member of The IHC Group, an organization of insurance carriers and marketing and…

04/03/2014

Dear Friends,

I wanted to send a short message to give you an update on the planned VASG certification program.

We placed the survey last year in order to gauge the interest in such a program: the response has been overwhelming.

We hope to launch the first of 3 planned certification levels before the end of 2014 if our personal time allows us to get this down with all the duties that we have.

It is difficult to send messages to so many people directly. I will not have time to answer questions individually. If you ask all of your questions via Facebook then all members will benefit from the responses.

Also, when you can, please take the time to thank all of our friends and colleagues from around the globe that have contributed to our effort (www.vasg.org/who_we_are.htm).

Keep your eye out for future Facebook VASG postings.

Warmest Regards,

Bob

VASG Executive Director

04/03/2014

2014 will see the launch of our Campaign for Myofascial Trigger Point Disease Awareness. Myopain is the least well understood, least well acknowledged chronic pain generator. Unless we understand and manage myopain, our chronic pain therapies will not succeed to the degree that we want them too; our patients will not experience the pain relief that they deserve.

Practice purchase equipment before investing in knowledge; practitioners find it easier to make money and write a check rather than take the time and energy and make the effort to step away from the generation of income and invest in their understanding of the disease called chronic pain.

Despite the fact that muscle is the largest organ system in the body, there is no specialty college that is truly focused on the muscle system. Far too many of us are focused on structures that we can image via radiography, CT, and MR. Far too many of us treat the joint or the spine while completely ignoring the elegantly complex system that stabilize and activate the orthopedic boney structures.

It is fascinating to see that, at times, colleagues who are highly placed within our the world of veterinary pain management and rehabilitation denying the importance, even the validity, of chronic myopain when leading pain researchers and practitioners like Dr. Clifford Woolf and Dr. Charles Argoff fully acknowledge and embrace the crucial role played by myofascial trigger points with regard to both the development and perpetuation of chronic pain.68,69

I am pleased to introduce this myofascial trigger point disease review provided by Dr. Rick Wall, the leading pioneer in the field of veterinary myofascial trigger point disease education and management. Dr. Wall was the first veterinarian to complete the Bethesda based Myopain Seminar's Myofascial Trigger Point Dry Needling certification program. He currently provides annual canine trigger point therapy CME in conjunction with Dr. Jan Dommerholt and Myopain Seminars.

Please follow this link to advance your understanding of myopain:
http://www.vasg.org/myofascial_trigger_point_disease.htm

While chronic pain management is likely the least well developed crucial component in the life-management of a dog or cat, myofascial disease is likely the least well understood and arguably the least well acknowledged of the chronic pain generators.Practice purchase equipment before investing in kn...

03/14/2011

It is incredible. Over the past 12 months, www.VASG.org hosted over 297,000 visitors; visitors from all over the world!!

This site is built and maintained by veterinary professionals who have made a commitment to anesthetic and pain management excellence.

02/23/2011

This is our homepage!

This site is built and maintained by veterinary professionals who have made a commitment to anesthetic and pain management excellence.

02/23/2011

Welcome to the Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia Support Group page.

Www.vasg.org is maintained by veterinary professionals who have made a commitment to anesthetic and pain management excellence. Our focus is on practical guidance. Our goal is improved patient comfort and safety.

The VASG hosted 292,000+ visitors this past year.