(This page/opposite page): Acupuncture treatment for Yasha, a patient of Country Oaks Animal Hospital.
How can these complex physiologic responses to acupuncture be used to help our pets?
What’s The Point? –by Dr. Elizabeth Baird, DVM, CVPP, CCRT, CVMA
When ancient art meets modern science, giving us the best of both worlds. Acupuncture may conjure up images of a living porcupine or may bring forth a warm, fuzzy feeling if you've had an acupuncture treatment yourself. Have you wondered what it's all about and how it might help your pet?
Acupuncture is a therapeutic option for many veterinary health problems, most espe- cially pain. It was originally believed to be based on energy flow through the body and its practice has been documented over thousands of years. The primary goal of acupuncture is to encourage the body to heal itself through guided stimulation. Today, the science is pretty clear and much of the benefit of acupuncture can be verified with functional MRI. The use of acupuncture in veterinary care is a more recent applica- tion of this ancient art of healing. Acupuncture treatment is now used successfully in virtually every species, from dogs and cats to rabbits, lizards, snakes, horses, goats and many exotic species. The benefits of acupuncture treatments have been observed and well-
documented in both human and veterinary subjects: •Acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s own pain relieving substances such as endorphins. •Acupuncture can stimulate the release of anti-inflammatory substances to facilitate pain relief and healing. •Muscle spasms and myofascial trigger points in the muscles can be released at the site of needle insertion. •Acupuncture stimulates tissue blood flow, oxygenation and removal of metabolic wastes and toxins. During acupuncture, very thin needles are carefully inserted to stimulate nerves
in specific locations or acupuncture points. These acupuncture points are located at places where nerves are accessible and quite often are locations where nerve bundles and blood vessels come together. The subsequent stimulation at the acupuncture point, impacts correlating organs or areas of the body based on the specific acupunc- ture point. On a physiologic level, a great deal happens when those skinny little needles are
inserted. The effect of acupuncture is referred to as neuromodulation — a complex series of events that occur with appropriate acupuncture point stimulation.
62 THE NEW BARKER
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•Pain Management is one of the most common indications for acupuncture, in humans and animals. It can be used alone or in combina- tion with traditional techniques for pain associated with arthritis, hip dysplasia, surgery, cancer, trauma or injury and intervertebral disk disease, a common and very painful condition of the spine. It can also be used for pain not associated with the muscu- loskeletal system such as pain associated with the bladder, pancreas and other organs.
•Neurological problems such as loss of motor function due to a ruptured disk or trauma to a nerve can respond very well to acupuncture.
•Skin problems such as lick granu- lomas or hot spots may respond nicely to acupuncture.
•Gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, diarrhea and digestive imbalances can respond to the increased blood flow and stimulation of acupuncture.
•Respiratory problems such as asthma can benefit from the neuro- modulation and anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture.
•Elimination disorders such as fecal and urinary incontinence can be addressed with acupuncture & electroacupuncture.
•Preventive care program (as is common in China) including helping athletes (agility, dock diving, lure coursing) stay in top physical condition.
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