Veterinary Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) has four main components: acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy and Tui-na (medical massage/manipulation).
Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin sterile needles into discrete and specific points on the body in order to cause a therapeutic effect, but may include other methods such as electrical stimulation, aqua-puncture and moxibustion. The point on the body is called “Shu-xue” or acupuncture point (acupoint). The ancient Chinese discovered 361 acupoints in humans and 173 acupoints in animals.
Acupuncture has been practiced in both animals and humans for thousands of years in China. Modern research shows that acupoints are located in areas where there are a high density of free nerve endings, mast cells, small arterioles and lymphatic vessels. Most acupoints are motor points. A great number of studies indicated that the stimulation of acupoints induces the release of beta-endorphins, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters.
The US National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (www. Pubmed.gov) has a total of 25,764 research papers regarding acupuncture and 404 animal specific articles as of February 2017.
