Needing Needles: How Acupuncture Changes Lives

Acupuncture, a therapy that follows traditional chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM), dates back two thousand years. It has been refined to a specialized treatment for a multitude of ailments across many species. Despite acupuncture being considered an “alternative therapy” in the United States, it has been around much longer than modern medicine, which has only existed for 300 years. There are thousands of research studies showing significant improvement in animal quality of life after acupuncture treatments. Integrating the TCVM approach with western medicine approaches provides comprehensive treatment for your pet to have them feeling their best!

Why would an owner seek acupuncture for their animal?

Acupuncture is primarily used for treating acute pain, chronic arthritis, and neurologic conditions (hello spinal cord injuries in dachshunds). It can also improve autoimmune (allergies) and endocrine disease (hypothyroid & diabetes), regulate intestinal disorders (chronic diarrhea), as well as stabilize respiratory and heart conditions. In my experience, most owners bring their pets for painful musculoskeletal problems. Did you know that 1 in 3 dogs/cats have arthritis? That number significantly increases with age. Arthritis is not always obvious because most fur babies are resilient. Many dogs with joint and soft tis- sue pain are still running and playing but may be “slowing down”, struggling to rise or get on the couch. Subtle clues to indicate discomfort are described well in this online resource: AHAA

How to Tell if Your Dog is in Pain

In most scenarios, if a pet is acting strange and deviating from their normal habits; a veterinarian will assess, diagnose and usually prescribe medications, diet and lifestyle changes. If good ol’ Fido has a sudden limp, he is likely going to be given an anti-inflammatory prescription to treat. Although he may recover quickly while on medications, this relief may be short lived and the old injury may come back to haunt, just as we experience in ourselves. Most medications do not have lasting effects to prevent injuries from becoming chronic unless taken daily. Acupuncture is wonderful because it can provide pain relief and other benefits that last for weeks to months, even years without the potential systemic side effects of daily medications. However, it is not intended to replace necessary medications.

How does it work?

Using hair-thin needles to penetrate into body tissues, an acupuncturist targets very specific points; by stimulating these areas through microtrauma, you’re encouraging the body to heal itself in the way it innately knows how. The healing response includes improving blood flow, encouraging lymphatic drainage, enticing nerve cells, and promoting immune cells. Not only are there changes that happen at the location of the needle, but there are also systemic responses based on TCVM organ meridian channels that can help control disease and improve energy. My favorite part is knowing that acupuncture releases serotonin and beta endorphins in the body; therefore, I can always provide pain control/relief for my wonderful patients.

Needles generally stay in for 15 - 30 minutes, but positive response can occur within seconds. Dogs typically require at least 3-6 sessions (depending on severity and age) to reach full effects and then come in for regular “tuneups” as needed. Interestingly, cats require less sessions and rabbits usually only need one to two sessions to fix a specific problem!

Do the needles hurt?

Generally, no.

The needles can briefly cause discomfort at sensitive regions but the theory is to treat pain with pain by using brief stimulation in an attempt to abolish severe, prolonged pain.

There is no placebo effect when it comes to animals, so when there is a noticeable improvement in their activity level and comfort, you know that it is working.

A common (and my favorite) response from owners is: “After the first session, they were running around like a puppy again!” Healthy pain free aging should not include slowing down. Our pets should be comfortable for their entire life! If you feel like your pet could benefit from the effects of acupuncture, give it a go! There is definitely no harm in trying.