Acupuncture
Acupuncture for Veterinary Patients: Achieving Balance and Relieving Pain
Acupuncture, a vital branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been masterfully adapted for veterinary use, yielding remarkable success. This holistic approach taps into the body's natural healing mechanisms, striving to balance imbalances and alleviate energy blockages (Qi) that cause pain, poor health, and decreased performance.
Styles of Acupuncture:
1. Dry Needling: The purest form of acupuncture involves the insertion of thin, solid needles into specific body points to stimulate blood flow and release powerful regulating and pain-modulating chemical mediators. This process also provides beneficial feedback stimulation to the nervous system.
2. Electroacupuncture: This technique uses low-voltage electricity of varying frequency connected to the needles to deliver a highly effective treatment. It is particularly effective in treating back pain, muscular conditions, and neuropathies due to its enhanced pain mediator release and strong neuro-feedback.
3. Aquapuncture: In this method, therapeutic substances like vitamin B12 are injected into specific acupuncture points to achieve longer-lasting treatment.
Benefits of Acupuncture:
Because it works harmoniously with the body, acupuncture has virtually no side effects. It can reduce dependence on medications commonly used to relieve pain, inflammation, or muscle spasm. Acupuncture can also be integrated with regular veterinary medicine to enhance treatment response and maintain peak performance in all equine athletes.
Our Acupuncture Services:
We offer comprehensive acupuncture services to our clients. The initial evaluation includes a thorough acupuncture examination and an assessment of the horse in motion to develop a treatment plan tailored to your horse's specific needs. Most horses and riders notice significant improvements in the horse's suppleness and comfort within the first 1-2 treatments. However, as acupuncture optimizes and resets the body's homeostasis, the process typically takes longer overall. Therefore, we recommend a series of three treatments for optimal results. Subsequent appointments focus on maintaining and strengthening these positive trends while addressing any specific concerns that may have arisen since the last treatment.
"Since beginning acupuncture, Versailles has not exhibited any of the "naughty" gelding behaviors that he was prone to. He LOVES his sessions and is incredibly relaxed during them, even in a busy barn setting. The treatments leave him fluid and relaxed.
At first, I wasn't a believer - I just thought it would be another expense to incur, but after three months, I could tell a major difference in his hind movements.
Versailles has been through a lot in his short life....he looks forward to the sessions, seeing Dr. Shen and having a little down time!"
