How does Acupuncture work?

A healthy body is said to be in “homeostasis” or “balance.”  Illness and/or injury cause the body to become unbalanced.  Acupuncture is a key therapy used to bring the body back into its proper homeostatic state and is known to affect all major physiological systems.  It works primarily through the central nervous system affecting musculoskeletal, hormonal and cardiovascular systems.  It does more than relieve pain.  How it works depends on what condition one is treating and which points are utilized.  Acupuncture increases blood circulation, causes a release of many neurochemicals (some of which are endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing hormones), relieves muscle spasms, stimulates nerves, stimulates the body’s defense systems, as well as numerous other beneficial effects.

What conditions respond to Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is indicated for functional problems such as those that involve pain, non-infectious inflammation and paralysis.  Examples include:
 
Acute or chronic pain from illness or injury

Musculoskeletal & neurological problems

• Osteoarthritis
  
• Intervertebral disk disease
  
• Nerve injury/paralysis

• Vomiting/Diarrhea/Constipation
  
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Urinary Tract Diseases

• Urinary incontinence
  
• Kidney disease

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases

• Hypertension
• Asthma

Dermatologic conditions

• Allergies
• Lick granulomas

Miscellaneous

• Behavior problems such as urine spraying in cats and feather picking in birds
• Immune system stimulation
• Palliative therapy for cancer pain & side effects of chemotherapy.
  

Is Acupuncture painful?  How will my pet react during treatment?
Pain from insertion of acupuncture needles is minimal or non-existent.  Once the needles are in place, there should be no pain.  Acupuncture patients can feel either relaxed and sleepy or renewed with vitality following treatment.  The physiologic effects from acupuncture stimulation continue to evolve over 24-48 hours following treatment.

Is Acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture is performed with thin, sterile stainless steel needles.  It is one of the safest therapies utilized if practiced by a competent acupuncturist.  Side effects are rare.  Because acupuncture balances the body’s own system of healing and no chemicals are administered, complications rarely, if ever, develop.

What happens in an Acupuncture treatment?
A physical exam is done on the patient to locate “reactive points” and identify areas of discomfort or decreased mobility.  Based on the physical exam, acupuncture points are selected for treatment and needles are inserted.  Once needles are in place, most animals are content to be still and quiet, although some may prefer to move around the exam room.  Needles will remain in place 5 to 30 minutes depending on the condition being treated.  In addition to needling, other ways of stimulating acupuncture points include electro-acupuncture, aquapuncture (injecting a liquid into a point), and moxibustion (heating the point).  More than one method of acupuncture point stimulation may be utilized in a single treatment.

How many Acupuncture treatments are needed?
The length and frequency of acupuncture treatments depends on the problem being treated. A simple acute problem such as a sprain may require only one treatment.  More chronic conditions may need six treatments to obtain a maximal response.  Typically, pets receiving acupuncture display positive changes within one to four treatments, which are usually done at weekly intervals.  Once a good response is obtained, treatments are then gradually tapered to every few weeks or even months.  Different points may be selected at each treatment, depending on how the animal responds to acupuncture.