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Acupuncture FAQs
• What is acupuncture?
• What sort of conditions is acupuncture used for?
• Is acupuncture safe? What could go wrong?
• How does it work to control pain?
• How does acupuncture work for conditions other than pain?
• How many treatments will be needed?
• Who can perform acupuncture on animals?
• What sort of training do veterinarians have in acupuncture?
What is acupuncture?
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) defines veterinary acupuncture as the examination and stimulation of specific points on the body of animals by the use of needles (and other techniques) for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous conditions.
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What sort of conditions is acupuncture used for?
Acupuncture is probably most widely known as a treatment to control pain. It is also used for a wide variety of medical problems, musculoskeletal conditions, and behavioral issues. If your pet has a lameness or performance problem, or has been diagnosed with any disease, it would be worth asking a veterinary acupuncturist if acupuncture might help. Acupuncture is often successful in cases where conventional medicine has had limited success. Acupuncture is also useful in conjunction with conventional treatment. Research has shown that in treatment of infectious disease, the use of acupuncture may result in lower doses of antibiotic being effective. In anesthesia, the use of acupuncture may allow the dose of anesthetic drugs to be reduced. In chronic pain syndromes, acupuncture can help with pain relief so that smaller doses of pain-relieving drugs can be used.
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Is acupuncture safe? What could go wrong?
Acupuncture is probably one of the safest forms of veterinary treatment but it does have some risk. Complications may include tissue damage from a misplaced needle. Local bleeding or infection, even if a needle is properly placed, could be a rare problem if the animal had a pre-existing condition such as a bleeding disorder or a compromised immune system.
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How does it work to control pain?
There is a lot of research to suggest possible ways acupuncture might work. There is no widespread scientific agreement on the details. As with other unconventional therapies, is easier to find people convinced that it does work than it is to find compelling evidence of exactly how it works. The simplest answer is that acupuncture influences the nervous system. Because the nervous system controls all other body systems, this explains some of the physiological basis of acupuncture. Acupuncture reduces pain by various possible mechanisms including the promotion of natural pain inhibitors (endogenous opiods) or by influencing pain signals in the spinal cord.
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How does acupuncture work for conditions other than pain?
Although acupuncture's effect on pain has been well documented in research studies, the ways in which it works for so many other things are not as thoroughly documented.
Acupuncture appears to have multiple effects that influence the body's natural homeostatic and immunologic surveillance mechanisms, although specific mechanisms of action remain an area of research and controversy. Homeostasis is the body's hard-wired regulatory system. This is what keeps your animals vital functions and immune system working properly. Homeostasis involves regulation of heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, temperature control, pH of body tissues and many other functions. Immunologic surveillance is your animal's natural capacity to resist disease, or to fight intruders if they somehow get past the initial gatekeepers and invade the body.
A loss of normal regulation is associated with many diseases, therefore acupuncture appears to work by a non-specific mechanism of improving the body's natural ability to maintain and heal itself. Promoting the body's own healing capacity appears to have fewer side effects than a pharmacologic approach; and in many conditions may actually provide a more complete and long lasting cure.
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How many treatments will be needed?
As with many types of therapy, the number of appointments is determined on a case by case basis. Many veterinary acupuncturists have found that a course of 4 to 6 treatments is effective for a wide array of conditions. Before beginning any course of treatment, it makes sense for you to obtain an estimate of the cost and duration of treatment.
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Who can perform acupuncture on animals?
Because acupuncture is considered by most veterinary practice acts to be a medical or surgical procedure, only veterinarians are licensed to perform acupuncture on animals.
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What sort of training do veterinarians have in acupuncture?
Although recognized by the AVMA as an integral part of veterinary practice, there is currently no required training in the veterinary curriculum, and no formally recognized veterinary board certification. A few veterinary colleges do have electives to introduce students to the basics of acupuncture. There are courses offered to licensed veterinarians to train them in acupuncture theory and practice. Different training programs have different approaches, but all veterinarians completing a training course can become certified in acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
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