About Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is defined as the insertion of fine needles into the body in order to bring about a therapeutic effect. It has been practised by various cultures for thousands of years, and more recently as a complementary treatment alongside conventional 'Western' medicine, particularly as an aid to pain relief. As well as treating a wide variety of conditions, it can also reduce the patient's need for medications, reducing undesirable side effects.

How does it work?

There are generally two approaches to understanding how acupuncture works. Traditional Chinese Medicine defines health as a state of balance between the body and its internal and external environments, and acupunture is used to maintain this harmony and treat imbalances by needling particular locations on the body- 'acupoints'.

In recent decades, Western Medicine has begun to understand acupuncture's neural and physiological effects on the body, although all its mechanisms of action are still not fully understood. The action of needling acupoints stimulates sensory nerve fibres which then feed back to the spinal cord and brain, causing release of the body's own painkillers such as endorphins. Suppression of pain signals in the nervous system also occurs, thereby reducing the pain sensation registered by the brain.  Needling can also increase blood circulation to the area promoting healing, and release muscle tension and spasm, alleviating pain.  There are also potent effects on the autonomic nervous system, which help to explain acupuncture's therapeutic effects in patients with internal medical disorders.

Will my pet benefit from it?

Painful conditions such as osteoarthritis, spinal problems and muscular strains can respond well to acupuncture treatment.  It is also an effective addition to rehabilitation of pets following spinal or orthopaedic surgery.

Medical conditions can also respond favourably to treatment, examples are chronic gastrointestinal disease, epilepsy, renal disease, chronic respiratory problems, urinary disorders and skin complaints such as lick granulomas.

Acupuncture can safely be used alongside your pet's medication as an addition to its treatment regime, or in some cases can be used alone.  It is particularly useful where response to conventional medication is poor, or when the animal is experiencing undesirable side effects.

Animals respond in different ways to acupuncture; some will be strong responders with an immediate improvement in their condition, others will take a few treatments before a beneficial effect is seen. As with all treatments, there will be a small proportion of animals that will not respond to acupuncture.

Please contact us to discuss your pet's needs further.