The first known record of the practice of veterinary acupuncture was the treatment of diseased horses and cattle around 659 B.C. in China by Sun Yang, the father of veterinary acupuncture. In the United States, acupuncture is now receiving greater interest and more acceptance. In 1996, the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates approved the guidelines on alternative and complementary medicine. According to the guidelines, “veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy are now considered an integral part of veterinary medicine. These techniques should be regarded as surgical and/or medical procedures under state veterinary practice acts. It is recommended that educational programs be undertaken by veterinarians before they are considered competent to practice veterinary acupuncture.” More and more veterinarians practice acupuncture or refer their patients for acupuncture as they experience its excellent clinical results. Veterinarians understand that conventional Western medicine is great for an accurate diagnosis and emergency management for critical conditions, while acupuncture is great for painful illness, diseases unresponsive to conventional therapies, chronic ailments, and geriatric conditions. One of the reasons why acupuncture has become so popular is the comparison of the numerous undesirable side-effects of western drugs versus the minimal side-effects of acupuncture.

Releasing the Flow of Energy

Acupuncture is defined as the stimulation of a specific point (acupuncture point) on the body with a specific method, resulting in a therapeutic effect. Thus, there are three major components of the acupuncture process: (1) acupuncture point; (2) stimulating method; and (3) acupuncture-inducing therapeutic effects. There are 173 major acupuncture points in horses located throughout the body. Most acupuncture points are found on pathways called meridians, the energy flow systems of the body. There are 14 major meridian systems named: Lung (LU), Heart (HT), Pericardium (PC), Spleen (SP), Kidney (KID), Liver (LIV), Large Intestine (LI), Small Intestine (SI), Triple Heater (TH), Stomach (ST), Bladder (BL), Gallbladder (GB), Governing Vessel (GV), and Conception Vessel (CV) meridians. Chi (the body’s natural energy) moves from one acupuncture point to the next via these meridian systems. The Traditional Chinese Medicine theory is that when the Chi cannot properly flow from one acupuncture point to the next, a disease state occurs. Therefore, the goal of acupuncture therapy is to unblock the stagnation and allow the Chi to flow properly throughout the body. With a free flow of Chi, the body is in balance, and there is no disease. There are several ways to stimulate acupuncture points, and the most commonly used methods in horses are dry needle, electro-acupuncture and aqua-acupuncture. Dry needle therapy is the insertion of acupuncture needles into acupuncture points. Electro-acupuncture is the attachment of electrical current to the dry needles. Aqua-acupuncture is the injection of a sterile solution, usually vitamin B12, into the acupuncture points. The technique employed is based on the horse’s attitude and clinical condition. The desired therapeutic effects are achieved through the release of various substances from the brain to the diseased area in the body.