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Put a pin in it! What acupuncture can and cannot do.
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cupuncture has been practiced in China for over 2,000 years, and spread to other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea about 1,500 years ago. During the past 25 to 30 years there has been tremendous growth and development of the use of acupuncture in animals in the United States, Canada and Europe.
What acupuncture can do Acupuncture has been used to treat a variety of diseases in horses, dogs, cats and other animals, and many clinical studies have documented its therapeutic benefits. It is generally safe and effective and can be used to treat conditions such as pain, arthritis, muscle spasms, injured tendons or ligaments, abdominal pain, immunodeficiency, autoimmune disease, intervertebral disc disease, seizures, Wobbler’s syndrome, nerve paralysis, behavioral disorders, infertility, skin disease and for improving the overall quality of life in chronic diseases. Acupuncture is defined as the stimulation of a specific point on the body, referred to as an “acupoint.” Physiological changes in response to acupoint stimulation are the basis of clinical treatment. Some of these changes include release of endogenous opioids, immune system stimulation and blood pressure regulation. Stimulation of an acupoint causes activation of Aα and Aβ nerve fibers to conduct electrical signals through the spinothalamic tract to the hypothamalus and cause release of β-endorphins. Acupuncture also activates the descending
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integrative veterinary care
by Carolina Medina, DVM, CVA, CVCH, CCRT
pain inhibitory pathway which in turn activates the periaqueductal gray matter to release more β-endorphins and the nucleus raphe magnus to release serotonin. Therefore, pain is blocked with the release of these endogenous opioids and neurotransmitters. Acupuncture can also activate T-cell lymphocytes and increase the number of white blood cells which is beneficial in the treatment of immunodeficiency. Additionally, acupuncture can affect the blood pressure receptors and can either increase or decrease blood pressure.
Acupoints and techniques There are approximately 361 acupoints located throughout the body. There are four types of acupoints.
1. Motor points – make up about 70% of the total acupoints and are located in areas where a nerve enters a muscle
2. Midline points – located on dorsal and ventral midlines where the superficial nerves meet
3. Nerves or nerve plexus points 4. Muscle-tendon junction points. The three most common techniques use to stimulate acupoints include dry needle, electro-acupuncture and aqua-acupuncture. • Dry needle is the insertion of an acupuncture needle
