Veterinary clinical applications of acupuncture.

The research article discusses the use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine, reviews its history, details its methods, and provides evidence of its effectiveness in treating certain conditions in domestic animals.

Origin and Introduction of Veterinary Acupuncture

• The practice of acupuncture on animals dates back 3,000 years in China, and mirrors the development of human acupuncture. It was only introduced to Western countries in the last century, which may be the reason for the scarcity of veterinary clinical reports compared to those available for human medicine.

Safety of Veterinary Acupuncture

• According to the article, there are no reports of injury caused by veterinary acupuncture treatments, but caution is advised, particularly in avoidable risks such as the animal lying down on inserted needles which could cause internal damage.
• Unlike human medicine, animal studies report no diseases transmitted by reused needles. Despite this, needle disinfection remains advised for added safety.

Methods of Application

• Acupuncture in veterinary medicine usually accompanies other point-stimulating procedures such as local bleeding, electroacupuncture (EA), moxibustion, laser treatment, and injections of various solutions.
• Electrical stimulation (EA) of needles, developed to replace manual twirling, is commonly used. The intensity and frequency of the electrical stimulation emulate the effects and sensations caused by manual manipulation.
• Effectiveness of both dry needling and electrostimulation varies, and studies have tried to compare these procedures, but the complexity of the subject has made reaching conclusive findings difficult.

Effectiveness of Veterinary Acupuncture

• Despite the limitations of clinical studies in veterinary acupuncture, some findings note improvements pre and post-acupuncture. These include benefits such as restoring respiration and cardiovascular functions in dogs and cats, shortening diarrhea duration in piglets, relieving pain and back pain in dogs and horses.
• In some cases, veterinary acupuncture has shown success rates higher than the typical 30 percent achieved by placebo alone.