Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles in skin at strategic points on the body. Acupuncture on humans originated in China thousands of years ago, but over the past three decades its popularity has grown significantly within the United States.

Traditional Chinese theory explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (Pronounced – chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in the body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, traditional Chinese acupuncture practitioners believe that energy flow will re-balance.

Western medical practitioners now recognize that acupuncture points are places that are rich in nerves and blood vessels; that stimulation of nerves, and changing blood flow to muscles and connective tissue can boost the activity of the body’s natural painkillers and chemical messengers to accomplish different biological effects.

Veterinary acupuncture is effective for many different problems and is used in our practice in adjunct with traditional western medicine practices. Some of the illnesses that can be affected by acupuncture are listed below.

• Nerve paralysis (traumatic such as facial nerve paralysis or acquired such as with Roarers)
• Head shakers (as an adjunctive treatment for management of this problem)
• Lameness- diagnostic aid and pain relief
• Back pain- compensatory or due to traumatic injury

NERVOUS SYSTEM

The nervous system is a network of communication within the body. This system takes signals from the outside world (sound, sight, touch, pain, etc.) and translates them into information in the brain. The brain then uses this information to make many decisions, both conscious (don’t touch that hot wire) and unconscious (relax your back muscles when sitting down). This information has to travel from places like the feet, up to the brain. The spinal cord is the internal “wiring” that carries that information from distant sites (feet) to the brain. Internal organs also have a nervous system connection as well. Interestingly, the nerves that supply internal organs share some of the same pathways as the nerves that are specific to movement and to pain control. This means that in one treatment, an acupuncturist can speak to nerves that control pain, local movement, or even nerves distant in the body (nerves that aid digestion, for example). Acupuncture is considered to be very effective in areas of nerve dysfunction and can be indicated for horses with:

• FACIAL PARALYSIS
• HEAD SHAKERS
• TRAUMATIC NERVE INJURY
• INCONTINENCE
• SPASMODIC COLIC (ILEUS)
• ANHYDROSIS (INABILITY TO SWEAT)
• NEUROLOGIC WEAKNESS
• ROARER’S (LEFT LARENGEAL HEMI-PLEGIA)
• POOR UTERINE MUSCLE TONE

MUSCULAR SYSTEM

Muscles that are strained, overworked or contracted for a long time can run out of energy and oxygen. These muscles become swollen and painful, and accumulate lactic acid due to decreased blood circulation to the muscle. In addition, muscles that have reduced nerve and/or blood supply can become weak, and put a horse at a greater risk for an injury. Acupuncture can be used to help strengthen nerve impulses to muscles, to speed recovery from an injury, and as an effective way to release muscle knots and muscle soreness.

• LAMENESS COMPENSATION
• FATIGUED MUSCLES
• NERVE/MUSCLE INJURY

BLOOD FLOW

An injury strains the functions of all tissues involved with the injured area. The healing process of the body is regulated by restricting blood flow (ischemic damage), or increasing it (inflammation). Acupuncture provides a targeted method for increasing blood flow to a damaged area.

• CAUDAL HEEL PAIN
• LAMINITIS
• TRAUMATIC INJURY
• WOUND HEALING
• SOME TYPES OF COLIC
• PERSISTANT ANESTRUS
• CYSTIC OVARIES

*IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL CONDITIONS MUST BE APPROACHED FROM A WHOLE HORSE VANTAGE POINT. UNDERLYLING ILLNESS MUST BE ADDRESSED WITH ADDITIONAL THERAPY.

*SUCCESS IS VARIABLE WITH SEVERITY OF INJURY AND INDIVIDUAL HEALING CAPABILITY*

HOW TO DETERMINE HOW MANY SESSIONS ARE NEEDED…

Acupuncture has a cumulative effect. If there is nerve or muscle dysfunction, it is useful to address it a few times to encourage resolution of the problem. There are very few problems that are corrected with one treatment. For a long standing problem, it may take more treatments to achieve an effect. Treatments are the most effective when administered every one to two weeks initially. Once an effect is achieved the time between treatments is doubled in duration until it can be determined how often treatment would be needed. Individual cases can be discussed by phone or email if you have further questions.

See the Links/ Resources Page for some useful acupuncture articles.