Acupuncture is the ancient art of placing needles into the skin and superficial muscles, to alleviate pain and increase the animal’s resistance to disease.

Veterinary acupuncture is over 2000 years old and was developed in China. It has been increasingly integrated and accepted into conventional Western veterinary practice during the last 30 years.

The Western scientific approach to acupuncture is predominantly used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and, in particular, chronic pain states in animals.

It also has a modulating effect on both the body’s nervous and endocrine systems.

The effect of acupuncture is largely segmental - ie nerves, muscles and acupuncture points are needled in the same spinal segment as the painful/affected area. Acupuncture also stimulates the release of pain relieving chemicals in the brain and spinal cord, which produce more generalised (extrasegmental) analgesia. These effects, combined with
local needling of painful ‘trigger points’ and taut muscle bands, result in exceptional pain relief.

How is acupuncture performed?

Animals on the whole accept needling well, and in fact become very relaxed during treatment.

The needles used are very fine, pre-sterilised, stainless steel, and are left in place for 10-20 minutes. On average 4-6 treatments are required.

These are given weekly initially, with gradually increasing intervals, until the maximum desired effect is achieved. The frequency of treatments depends on the individual animals’ needs, but usually regular ‘top-ups’ are required to maintain the therapeutic effect.