Sound healing or sound therapy is a relatively new holistic medicine genre for animals.  Unlike music therapy which exposes the animal to recordings of composed music, sound therapy uses either single frequency or multiple frequency sounds created with instruments played “live” in the presence of the patient. Sound vibrations at specific frequencies are both heard by the patient and absorbed by the patient’s body in order to initiate healing.  Multiple instruments including gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, rattles, drums, didgeridoo, and the human voice are used to generate the sound vibrations in close proximity to the patient. However, most commonly, in the clinic we use weighted tuning forks to deliver focussed sound waves to muscles, joints and the spine. A tuning fork is a simple vibrational instrument that can deliver specific frequencies both to specific regions near or onto specific anatomical regions of the body.  Benefits of tuning fork therapy include relaxation, reduction in pain and swelling, and myofascial trigger point release.  Tuning forks can also be used to stimulate acupuncture points. Most animals visibly relax while receiving a “tuning fork massage”. While very powerful therapy, tuning fork techniques are easy enough to teach to owners so that they may continue treatment of their pet at home.

Dr. Jen has become an expert in the field of veterinary sound healing and has taught sound healing techniques to veterinarians at the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association national meeting in 2019.