• The Tui-na Project is a Chi University approved research study conducted by Amanda Levin-Russo, DVM, CTCVMP, CTPEP from Fort Worth, TX. 

• The project is intended to determine whether or not providing a series of instructional videos that reinforce specific Tui-na techniques to address coxofemoral osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease can contribute to an improved patient medical outcome.

• Across the world, veterinary clinics of all disciplines often struggle with the consistent implementation of client education. Whether secondary to lack of instructional time, inability to standardize training among staff, absence of resources to teach, and/or financial deficits to purchase teaching tools, client education of patient medical conditions and the instructional measures needed to provide the best care at home remains lacking. This is especially evident with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and the implementation of Tui-na techniques to address canine coxofemoral osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.

• Based on Dr. Levin-Russo's current literature review, most client educational tools are in written form and may include text from pamphlets, handouts, and/or website articles. Occasionally, an “in-clinic” demonstration will be provided to a client, however, instructional time and staff knowledge or training plays an instrumental role in the quality of this demonstration and how much information is provided to a client. 

• With the current state of the world using YouTube, TikTok, or other social media platforms to watch and learn from videos, amalgamated with a culture vested in “instant gratification”, many clientele are unlikely to realistically read and follow through on written instructional guidance from veterinary professionals. Moreover, unless clientele are able to take notes during an in-clinic demonstration, any information provided verbally may not be retained and therefore not used for in-home treatment. Thus, despite the good intentions of veterinary medical staff providing these instructional measures, due to the disconnect of the audience with these educational tools, patients are unlikely to receive the recommended care whether due to inappropriate delivery or altogether lack of treatment due to difficulty/frustration in implementation.

• This research is being proposed to determine if implementing a simple educational video tool (i.e. instructional Tui-na videos), that can improve client education and understanding of a specific Tui-na treatment protocol, results in improved owner compliance and treatment at home, thereby resulting in improved medical outcomes for canine patients affected with osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.

• Great question! To ensure that the practice is a good fit for our study, we are seeking the following in participating hospitals and/or practitioners: 

  • • The participating practitioner at each site should be a credentialed veterinarian (CTCVMP, CVTP) or veterinarian trained in classical Tui-na techniques. 

    • The client education portion of the research study may be carried out by the veterinarian directly OR a technician formally trained by the veterinarian in classical Tui-na techniques. 

    • Each hospital or practitioner will need to recruit 6 dogs/subjects that meet the above criteria.

    • The participating hospital/practitioner should be comfortable with the following:

      •  Putting out a display (provided by PI) that they are participating in the study

      • Actively recruiting candidates to participate in the study

      • Ensuring that requested paperwork (including medical records) are submitted in a timely manner.

      • Willing to collect and submit requested data that will be used as part of outcome measurements (i.e. pain scale score, lameness score, etc.). Data sheets to be provided by PI.

      • Willing to take pictures and film patients during their assessment as this applies to the data sheet.

      • Teaching a standardized Tui-na protocol for coxofemoral disease to clients in person at the time of the appointment.

      • Distributing and reviewing a worksheet packet (provided by the PI) that covers the same standardized Tui-na protocol for coxofemoral disease as well as further instructions to clients on what to expect during the course of the study.

•  There are two sets of inclusion criteria categorized as follows:

  • Patients/Subjects:

    • Client-owned DOGS only (i.e. pets)

    • > 24 months old

    • Any breed

    • Male or female; castrated or intact 

    • Weight range: 10-60kg

    • Body Condition Score (BCS): 2-5 

    • Muscle Condition Score (MCS, using WSAVA guidelines): normal to moderate loss 

    • Confirmed coxofemoral (hip) osteoarthritis and/or degenerative joint disease. Should be confirmed by BOTH physical examination by a veterinarian as well as radiographic evidence. 

    • Lab work performed within the past 6 months indicating no co-morbidities that would preclude TCVM treatment and/or prevent the patient from completing the study (i.e. IRIS stage 4 kidney disease). 

    • All included patients will need to receive acupuncture (i.e. dry needle, aquapuncture, electrical, moxibustion) based on the TCVM practitioner’s (TCVMP) medical recommendations.

    • Any other services (I.e. laser, shockwave, rehabilitation, etc. will need to be documented at the time of the appointment.

  • Clients:

    • Be able to have access to a device (i.e. computer, tablet, smart phone) with access to high-speed internet.

    • Be comfortable navigating a website if provided with a URL link and/or QR code that will link to a website.

    • Comfortable with their pet being filmed and having their picture taken for educational and assessment purposes only.

    • Ability to commit to at least 4 visits with their TCVM veterinarian (initial with 3 rechecks) with their qualified pet. The cost of the appointment and recommendations of the TCVM veterinarian will remain the responsibility of the client. 

    • Willingness to complete at least 3 short online recheck forms prior to the scheduled appointment times (recheck at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks).

    •  Willingness and physical ability to perform Tui-na (Chinese Medical Massage) on their dog once daily for a period of 6 weeks.

• A custom Tui-na form with the practice's logo that includes ALL of the Tui-na techniques (i.e. not just the ones from the study). This form can be easily implemented for daily practice use. 

• A copy of professionally made instructional videos that includes ALL Tui-na techniques for use at the hospital or practitioner's practice. The goal of these videos are to complement the customized forms. 

• Please see the video below for a sample Tui-na video:

• Once the project is completed for each patient/client pair, an honorarium of $75 will be paid to each client.

  • This honorarium will be provided by email directly from the PI and will be paid for by the PI.

• A certificate of participation and thank you. 

• Acknowledgement in Dr. Levin-Russo's final written thesis. 

• Amanda Levin-Russo, DVM, CTCVMP, CTPEP is the primary investigator (PI) of this study and will be responsible for coordinating the project for each veterinary professional/hospital, collecting and processing data, writing the thesis, as well as providing the FREE Tui-na videos/handouts for the veterinary professionals/hospitals and client honorariums. Dr. Levin-Russo is self-funding this research study and there are currently no third party interests or investors. 

• More information about Dr. Levin-Russo including her TCVM experience(s) and credentials can be found on her practice's home page: https://www.bahavavet.com/about-us/#DrLevin

• Dr. Levin-Russo is currently a MS-TCVM student at Chi University in Reddick, FL. Her study has been approved by her overseeing committee members Drs. Deng-Shan Shiau, Judith Saik, and Aituan Ma. 

• Dr. Levin-Russo's husband (Evan Russo) is the "IT guru" who will be aiding with any technical questions or difficulties as the research project unfolds. 

The project is anticipated to begin in the Spring of 2024. Veterinary professionals and/or their hospitals will be onboarded prior to beginning the research study itself and be given an official start date. 

• Dr. Levin-Russo will work directly with each hospital and/or practitioner and determine the best timing for each individual site to begin the research study. 

• Individual start times will allow Dr. Levin-Russo to focus on one practice at a time in order to be able to answer questions or concerns promptly as well as address project technical "hiccups" as they occur. 

• The research project will take place at each participating hospital or practitioner's location. 

• Locations CAN include mobile practices or practitioners that work at different office sites (i.e. grooming or boarding facility, pet store, etc). 

• Consistency is key, so meeting the same client at the same facility for each appointment included in the research study is preferred. 

• Dr. Levin-Russo will aid each hospital and/or practitioner remotely from her office in Fort Worth, TX for the duration of the project. 

• For this research project, Dr. Levin-Russo will be supplying all of the indicated worksheets, handouts, videos, website, and all other instructional materials for each participating hospital and/or practitioner. 

• Participating hospitals and/or practitioners will need to have daily computer access (ideally with high-speed internet) and feel comfortable using this technology in order to ensure smooth participation. 

• Dr. Levin-Russo is choosing to self-fund this project at the time of the writing (August 2023); there are no other financially contributing parties to aid with this research study. 

• Whether in the conventional or TCVM/complementary medical world, as practitioners, we count on our clients to provide treatment for our patients. Examples of this include everything from "pilling" a patient, applying a salve, "flushing" ears, and/or implementing physical medicine therapies such as Cavaletti exercises, range of motion techniques, and Tui-na. Regardless of the medicine being prescribed or assigned, clients have to take this information, understand it, and effectively implement it in order for the patient to have the best chance at recovering and/or healing from their injury or disease process. 

• Often as holistic or integrative veterinary practitioners, we are exceptionally good at being able to develop a comprehensive treatment plan to aid our patients during this healing/recovery process. However, we unfortunately lack the tools - or the time to create them - to effectively communicate this plan to our clients, especially in a world that operates predominantly off of ever-changing technology. 

• It is the primary objective of the Tui-na project to determine whether the use of a combination of a professionally curated Tui-na handout and instructional videos can effectively improve a patient's clinical osteoarthritis and overall quality of life in lieu of a professional handout alone. If this can be proven, then this research study has the capacity of translating to various other aspects of veterinary medicine - both conventional and complementary. Moreover, it can potentially alter how we teach and communicate with clients moving forward, thereby positively affecting our patients' overall lives, health, and wellbeing. We would LOVE for you and your practice to be a part of this exciting study. :) 

• • • The study for each participating subject/patient is expected to take 6 weeks long. If all subjects/patients are recruited and started at the same time, the research study for the veterinary professional/hospital will only take 6 weeks. 

    • If subjects/patients are staggered (i.e. subject/patient 1 is recruited on week 1 and subject/patient 2 is recruited on week 2) then the research study will be prolonged beyond the 6 weeks. 

• We're so glad you asked and are happy to answer any questions/concerns that you may have! 

• Please click here to complete our contact form and we will reply as quickly as possible.

• YAY! We're ecstatic that you'd like to join us on this exciting journey! 

• Please click here to complete our Interest Form and share a little more about both yourself and your hospital. We will reach out to you as soon as possible with more detailed information regarding the next steps for the project.