Acupuncture is an element within the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) health system which also includes herbs, acupressure, laser, electro and magnetic therapy, exercise and diet. Acupuncture has been used successfully on animals and humans for nearly 4000 years. There are many theories as to how and why it works. Western medical acupuncture practice believes it may work by releasing pain-killing endorphins, or that it triggers ‘gate control’, so that nerves carrying pressure messages reach the brain faster than pain messages, which stops the brain registering pain. Traditional acupuncturists believe that all acupuncture points are connected together to form a complete circuit covering the body, creating an integral web-like system called meridians.
Traditional acupuncturists believe that all acupuncture points are connected to form a complete circuit covering the body, creating an integral web-like system called meridians. Energy or Qi circulates around the body via these meridians connecting organs and tissues. The ancient Chinese held that illness was a state of imbalance or blockage in the healthy energy flows of the body and that acupuncture, by acting on these channels of energy flow, restored them to normal. A body of scientific evidence now exists to support the use of acupuncture to treat certain conditions. At Integrative Veterinary Care, we have found that the following conditions respond favourably to acupuncture therapy: