28/04/2021
So How Does Acupuncture Work ?
Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years – a 5000 year old human body discovered in an Austrian glacier had signs of a primitive form of acupuncture, and it is use is reported in Chinese medicine for over 3000 years.
There are 2 approaches - the Western approach, where points are chosen based on physiological principles, and the Chinese approach. Here practitioners believe that acupuncture points are connected by pathways along which energy (Qi) flows . Disrupting this energy is believed to cause disease, but using acupuncture can rebalance the Qi.
The most common condition acupuncture is used for in veterinary medicine is the treatment of chronic pain – for example due to osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal problems. Here acupuncture works by
- Increasing release of endorphins and adenosine – these are the body’s natural painkillers
- Affecting the part of the brain that releases serotonin – the chemical responsible for mood.
- Blocking the pain impulses from travelling back to the brain – this is the ‘gate control’ theory of pain . This works in the same way as when we hurt ourselves and ‘rub it better’ – but for a more sustained period.
- Treating trigger points. These are the tense tight painful bands of muscle that form when you have discomfort somewhere and hold yourself differently. Using acupuncture directly onto these points can release them and relieve the pain they cause.
Acupuncture can also help with other issues – for example bladder problems like feline interstitial cystitis, gastrointestinal issues. Apart from the endorphin release and pain block mentioned above acupuncture is thought to help with these conditions by stabilising the autonomic nervous system. This system controls the things we are not in conscious control of – like digestion, heart rate, urine production and so on. Acupuncture is also used to speed wound healing – placing needles around a wound increases blood supply to the area as well as the endorphin effects and help with the treatment of some skin conditions.
I most often use acupuncture for painful conditions, especially arthritis, usually alongside conventional medication like painkillers where these and environmental modifications are not enough on their own, or do not seem to be working. Acupuncture can really help the dog or cat’s comfort and quality of life in many cases.
For vets interested in acupuncture training : http://www.wvag.co.uk/
https://www.abva.co.uk/
