The practice of acupuncture as a medical treatment used in veterinary medicine dates back 3,000 years ago based on the first written accounts of its use.
Acupuncture became popular as a medical treatment in the United States after President Nixon sent his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger on several trips to China in 1971. A reporter for the New York Times named James Reston traveled along with Kissinger on one of these trips. During his trip, reporter James Reston fell ill with appendicitis and was hospitalized. Surgery was performed to remove his appendix, then acupuncture and herbal medicine were used for pain management while Reston was hospitalized. After Reston recovered and was back in the US, he wrote an article in the New York Times about this experience, introducing a large portion of the Western world to acupuncture.
Veterinary courses in acupuncture in the United States became available in the mid 1970s and gained momentum in the late 1990s.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is based on the knowledge that our bodies are covered in acupuncture points, or acupoints. Acupoints are unique in that they are small areas of increased electrical conductivity and have a high density of free nerve endings, blood and lymph vessels, and mast cells. The primary response to stimulation of an acupoint is that it triggers the body to release natural pain-relieving chemicals such as opioids, beta endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Stimulation of muscles with acupuncture needles also lead to tissue relaxation and relief of muscle spasms. Acupuncture treatments are used in managing pain from chronic conditions like osteoarthritis to more acute conditions like a cruciate ligament injury or pain after a surgical procedure.
Another effect of acupuncture is that stimulation of certain points causes the body to upregulate its own stem cell production and heal injuries. A study in the Journal of American Veterinary Medicine in 2010 showed a statistical improvement in recovery from back injuries with the use of acupuncture with and without back surgery. Acupuncture point stimulation has also been shown to boost the immune system by increasing T-cell production, which makes acupuncture therapy especially useful for chronic wounds, infections, and in cases of immunodeficiency in cancer patients.
In addition to pain relief and immune support, acupuncture has been used to reduce fevers, improve GI regulation related to diarrhea or constipation, regulate reproductive function and fertility, manage allergy symptoms, and much, much more. This is because in addition to stimulating the body to release pain relieving and healing chemicals, stimulation of acupuncture points causes simultaneous release of chemicals and communication between the nervous, endocrine (hormonal), and immune system in our bodies.
The effects of acupuncture stimulation are based on:
The acupuncture points that are selected by the veterinarian for the treatment.
The method of acupuncture point stimulation: dry needling (using just needles with no heat or electrical current), electroacupuncture (in which a mild electric current (electroacupuncture is microvolts of electricity compared to a TENS unit used in human physical therapy is millivolts of electricity) is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles), hemoacupuncture (in which an acupuncture needle is directly inserted into a small peripheral blood vessel, and aquapuncture (in which a small amount of a liquid like saline or B12 is injected into an acupuncture point to provide stimulation without having to leave a needle in for an extended period of time.
The length of the stimulation/treatment.
a) Shorter treatment times are more appropriate for older patients or patients that are in a weakened or immune compromised state.
b) Longer treatments are more appropriate for younger patients, or otherwise healthy patients that need broader effects from acupuncture stimulation.
How does the veterinarian decide which acupuncture points to stimulate?
Acupuncture points are located on channels called “meridians”. Our bodies have 14 major channels/meridians. 12 of these channels are bilateral, meaning there is one on each side of the body and are associated with organ systems. These 12 channels are the Lung, Heart, Pericardium, Spleen, Liver, Kidney, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Triple Heater, Stomach, Gallbladder, and Bladder. The final 2 meridians are the Governing Vessel (which runs straight up the middle on back) and the Conception Vessel (which runs straight up the middle on the front or belly side of the patient).
Based on the patient’s condition that is being treated with acupuncture, points along these channels will be chosen based on the meridian or organ system associated with the points and the known body response to stimulation of that point (pain relief, immune support, stimulation of release of other body chemicals/hormones that affect body functions).
What are the effects of veterinary acupuncture?
Local Effects
Vasodilation of blood vessels leads to increased local immune status, increased local blood flow, increased local muscle and tissue relaxation. These effects can last up to two weeks!
Segmental Analgesia
High frequency, low intensity electrical stimulation of acupoints causes rapid onset of pain relief because it shuts off the pain pathway of the peripheral nerves up the spinal cord to the brain.
This effect is immediate but does not last for long after the treatment ends.
Low frequency electrical stimulation of acupoints causes the release of endorphins and serotonin to mediate/treat pain. This response to acupuncture stimulation takes longer to develop (starts 30-40 minutes after the treatment) but persists for hours/days.
Endocrine Effects
Acupuncture has been shown to improve blood flow up the pituitary axis to the brain and stimulate the release of stomatotropin in chronic pain patients, can induce hormones to be released that stimulate ovulation and regulate milk production, and can modulate thyroid function in patients with low thyroid activity.
Somatovisceral/Organ Effects of Acupuncture
Acupuncture stimulation of points on the associated organ channel/meridian result in interactions with the organ system and specific responses/effects on the organ system.
Autonomic Effects
Stimulation of certain acupuncture points can have powerful effects on a patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. GV-26 (Governing Vessel point 26) is a well known acupuncture point that is used to revive critical patients. Another acupoint PC-6 (Pericardium point 6) improves blood flow to the heart and can be used to improve heart rhythm in patients.
What should I expect from my pet after an acupuncture treatment?
Often, pets can be sleepy and relaxed during the treatment and for the remainder of the day after the treatment. This is attributed to the release of endorphins and serotonin from stimulation of the points, similar to what you may feel after a massage.
Rarely, a patient may have slightly more pain after the first acupuncture treatment, especially if the treatment goals are to “wake up” nerves that have been less than functional, for example in the case of back injuries. Please bring any concerns to Dr. Hartman and we can discuss adjustment of the following treatments.
How long will effects from the treatment last?
We ask pet parents to keep a log of progress and things to watch for at home to indicate forward progress. It is common for improvements to be seen after one treatment that can last days to weeks, but it is more common for improvements to last longer after each treatment session. This is attributed in fact to the disease process or pattern being treated being improved upon at each session. This is why we recommend initially starting with five treatment sessions scheduled one to three weeks apart based on Dr. Hartman’s recommendations for your pet’s condition.
How often are acupuncture treatments performed?
This depends on the pet’s condition being treated and the goals for therapy. With back injuries, or other acute injuries like a torn cruciate ligament, Dr. Hartman recommends treating once a week for a total of six weeks. Then treatments can be discontinued, or continued and spaced further apart as needed.
For chronic conditions like osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel, immune support, allergy treatments, and behavioral conditions, Dr. Hartman initially recommends treatments every two weeks for a total of five sessions, then often these treatments are spaced further apart as the patient’s pattern diagnosis improves.
Are there other things we can do at home to support the pet’s treatment progress?
Dr. Hartman will discuss the patient’s pattern diagnosis and treatment plan with respect to the acupuncture treatment being performed each session.
Dr. Hartman is also well versed in Chinese herbal therapy and veterinary food therapy which will be discussed later in additional blogs!
During your acupuncture appointments, Dr. Hartman may suggest Chinese herbal prescriptions to support/treat your pet’s pattern of disease at home to lengthen/speed improvement in symptoms. Additionally she can recommend whole food treats or diets containing specific ingredients to support your pet’s body best to improve the treatment process.
There are so many non-prescription ways we can help our pets to heal, and Dr. Hartman is always willing to share that knowledge!