“Veterinary Acupuncture and acutherapy are now considered an integral part of veterinary medicine”

-American Veterinary Medical Association 1996 

About Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a medical practice that is thousands of years old.  Initial documentation of acupuncture dates back to China around the year 200 BCE. Acupuncture is becoming more widely used in the veterinary field as a primary and ancillary modality for the treatment of many conditions in almost all species. Acupuncture is the insertion of a very thin needle into a very specific point in the body for remedial purposes. These specific points are highly vascularized (have a lot of blood flow) and highly innervated (have a lot of nerve fibers), making them very effective in promoting homeostasis, immune system balance, healing, and pain relief.  Acupuncture is a powerful treatment modality that can be used for pain/discomfort, palliative cancer therapy, musculoskeletal disease, neurologic disease, immune system dysfunction, wound healing and much more.  

Acupuncture is a wonderful modality for all ages and species of animals. It is minimally invasive and has minimal potential adverse effects. It can be used in combination with most medications and can often times reduce the doses necessary for treatment. There are many types of acupuncture treatment and many different uses. Moxibustion is the use of heat in place of needles for stimulating healing and electroacupuncture is the use of electrical stimulation with acupuncture needling. Both of these techniques are available at CVVA.

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 HOW CAN I GET STARTED WITH MY PET?

 Acupuncture therapy will be different for each animal and is aimed at treating specific conditions, as well as overall well- being. There will be an evaluation/exam/detailed history of each animal on their first visit. The initial evaluation will include the first treatment and subsequent treatments will be determined at that time.

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Common Conditions/Diseases Successfully Treated with Acupuncture:

-anxiolytic ( anxiety therapy)

-musculoskeletal/orthopedic pain discomfort

-soft tissue disease/injury

-chronic pain/discomfort

-Degenerative Joint Disease (osteoarthritis)

-wound healing

-spinal pain/trauma/disk disease

-neuropathic pain/dysfunction

"Horner's Syndrome"

Ophthalmic Disease: anterior uveitis, "moon blindness", non-healing corneal ulcers

Reproductive Disease: metritis, induction of estrus, anovulatory follicles, increased sperm quality/production

Companion Animal Specific Conditions:Gastrointestinal Disease: gastric ulcers, IBD, 

Neurologic Disease: laryngeal paralysis, herniated disk disease/paralysis, seizure disorders

Equine Specific Conditions:-Gastrointestinal Disease: colic, ileus, impaction, hypo/hypermotility, diarrhea, choke, gastric ulcers

-Musculoskeletal Disease: back pain, neck pain, joint pain, tendon/ligament injury, laminitis, navicular syndrome

Neurologic Disease: "sweeney", EPM, EPSM, "roaring", 

-asthma/Recurrent Airway Obstruction (formerly known as COPD)

Urogenital Disease: incontinence, acute and chronic renal dysfunction, inappropriate voiding

Ophthalmic Disease: non-healing corneal ulcer, KCS (dry eye), uveitis

Endocrinological Disease: Diabetes, Cushing's Disease, Addison's Disease 

Musculoskeletal Disease: arthritis, hip dysplasia, soft tissue injury, post-operative healing/pain relief, cruciate ligament injury

Skin: non-healing wounds, acral lick granulomas, atopic dermatitis, skin allergies