What is Veterinary Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the insertion of a needle in certain spots of the body to generate a treatment for various conditions or illnesses. Veterinary acupuncture is the administration of this treatment to animals. In other words, veterinary acupuncture, in essence, is no different from, say, human acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a medical art that has been used for over 2000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat disease and maintain good health. In the West it was taught in veterinary schools until the 1800s. Many veterinary surgeons are now turning to acupuncture once again for the treatment of their animal patients. Acupuncture involves placing needles into acupuncture points, which are points just under the skin or in muscle that have a good nerve supply. Stimulating particular points in this way asks the body to rebalance and heal itself using natural mechanisms of equilibrium (homeostasis). In addition to the well-known pain relieving effects of acupuncture, it can stimulate the immune system, regulate the organs, improve circulation, promote healing and relax the mind. In TCM and Chinese philosophy all phenomena consist of Qi, which can be translated in the West as ‘Energy’ or ‘Matter’. It is the fundamental substance of the universe. Giovanni Maciocia, in The Foundations of
