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by Ann-si Li, DVM, OMD
Veterinary Acupuncturist
Berkeley, California
| The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has accepted acupuncture as a valid veterinary modality. The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally proclaimed that acupuncture is an effective medical treatment, declaring "the sheer weight of evidence demands that acupuncture must be taken seriously as a clinical procedure of considerable value." |
| How
Does Acupuncture Work? Are There Side Effects? What Conditions Can Benefit? What To Expect How Many Treatments Will My Pet Need? Needling Techniques |
|
Acupuncture treats disease by inserting thin, thin needles into certain designated
points in the body and thereby inducing stimulation through various manipulative methods.
Once the needle is properly in place, your pet will feel a characteristic tingling
sensation that is not painful. Sometimes an electric apparatus may be used to maintain
a constant stimulation.
According to the classical doctrines of Chinese medicine, there is an unceasing flow of "life energy" through the body. This vital energy (called Qi or Chi) originates from the major organs, flows along the continuous circulatory channels (called meridians), and passes through other organs to end or begin on extremities. When the energy flow is smooth and in balance, your pet is healthy; if the balance is disturbed, then your pet will feel ill or in pain. There are some specific points along the meridians (called acupuncture points) where the energy flow can be simulated and the function of related organs can be regulated. This stimulation restores the delicate balance and the beneficial healing can occur. Acupuncture is applied to the points selected on the basis of meridian systems. This is the Chinese way to explain how acupuncture normalizes the physiological dysfunction and helps to maintain the body's harmonious equilibrium. In fact,according to this philosophy, Chinese doctors not only use acupuncture to treat diseases, but they also use acupuncture to strengthen the body's physycal condition, to prevent disease, and to promote health. |
The prime advantage of acupuncture is safety. There is no pain unless your pet gets nervous and moves around a lot, or gets too tense. Infection is prevented because all needles are sterilized before they are used. |
The conditions that can
be successfully treated by acupuncture are many. While Chinese medicine seeks to treat
the entire animal and not just an isolated problem such as a sore back, perhaps some
guidelines would be useful to those not familiar with this modality.
Acupuncture can be employed in treatment of:
Acupuncture is always something to consider when the patient does not respond to conventional medicine. |
| Most of the beneficial
reactions start during the first four or five visits. Past experience has shown that
you will notice a change in your pet within the first three visits. Therefore, we ask
that you commit yourself to at least three visits.
Of course, just like any other medical treatment, not all cases can be cured. However, there is no harmful effect from the therapy in common practice. We therefore encourage clients to try this promising art of healing on their pets -- especially if their pets are older and are suffering from lingering or chronic diseases. |
| Each patient is unique.
Therefore, the treatment plan is individualized. Treatment is based upon the type of
illness, the severity of the condition, the duration of the sickness, and the physical
state of the patient.
A course of treatment usually takes three to six sessions. In order to get the best therapeutic result, acute cases should be treated at least twice a week for several weeks, then in prolonged intervals; however, chronic cases usually need two or three visits per week. If the reaction to the treatment is slow, the patient should still be treated because most of these cases require more effort in restoring energy balance. |
 Acupuncture
involves the insertion of tiny needles into the patient's body that effect
changes within that body which can lead to health benefits. Whenever a
needle is inserted into the body of a patient, there is a physiological
reaction of that body. Therefore when we insert a needle into our patient,
your pet, we are treating your pet through the needle. |
 The needles are placed in strategic points that
we can determine through physical examination. If you see the photographs
that we present to you here, you can see that more than one needle is
inserted during a treatment session. Some veterinarians may insert as
many as 20 needles in one session,but on the average probably no more
than 10 points or so may be selected for treatment. |
Sometimes the needles are placed more for the location of the patient's
particular condition. See in the accompanying photograph that the patient
has a mass on the side of the body. In this technique, called sometimes
"circling the dragon," we are inserting needles around the mass in order
to create an energetic condition that will get the mass to shrink down. |
| At other times, we may
select to use electricity to enhance the effect of the acupuncture needle. This method
can be best explained by understanding that the time involved to needle a point varies
and in some cases, instead of stimulating a point for a long time, we can shorten that
time by using electrical current. In other instances, the effect of the electrical
current is much stronger that our needling the point only with our fingers. Examples of
use of electricity are often seen when the patient is paralyzed, and we want stronger
stimulation of the acupuncture points. |
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