Acupuncture for your pet?

BY ALEX MELROSE

Acupuncture has been around for 5000 years. Records show that fish-bone needles were used in China around 3000BC, then around 650BC the first veterinary text was written, including discussions of acupuncture techniques in cavalry horses.

There are two main schools of thought about acupuncture: biomedical and the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach. Ther's no real need to choose one over the other. Science can now explain most of how acupuncture works, but that doesn't negate thousands of years of observation and collection of patterns and therapy that build the foundations of TCM.

Acupuncture started to be used in Western human treatments in the 1970s and now is also widely accepted as beneficial in Western veterinary treatments (albeit it 5000 years later).

Acupuncture affects the nervous system in many ways. The idea that energy travels through invisible lines near the body surface arose as a result of a mistranslation of the Chinese word "qi" into "energy", rather than "vital air", and of "jingluo" into "meridians" rather than vascular channels. George Morant, a French bank clerk working in China, provided some of these earliest translations of Chinese acupuncture texts and his errors in word selection still haunt us. He created a metaphysical foundation for acupuncture that that would misinform future acupuncturists for generations.

Acupuncture points occur at more than 360 sites on the human body, and similar charts have been created for our pets' bodies. Acupuncture points have a higher density of neural and vascular components than do non-acupuncture points and are near a nerve trunk or large nerve branches and blood vessels. Thus, needle stimulation of acupuncture points excites nervous system fibres including those within the walls of blood vessels.

The introduction of a thin, sterile, metal acupuncture needle into body tissue provokes inflammatory, immune-modulatory, and circulatory changes at the site. At the level of the skin and the deeper tissues beneath, this activates neurologic responses and healing.

Sensory receptors convert the physical stimulus of needling into an electrical signal that encodes the physical stimulation and local tissue damage into neural information.

This signal is then delivered to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and interconnects with other neurons along the entire length of the spinal column. This can give the feeling of a tingling that's "travelling" along the body surface.

Signals go from the spinal cord to the brain carrying information about the conscious recognition and localisation of painful stimuli and modulate pain by releasing neurotransmitters and naturally occurring morphine-like compounds in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Acupuncture influences vascular supply to all nerve centres, and can affect how your internal organs work. It stimulates the body's pain control mechanisms, and this is a common way we vets use it: pain control.

It's very effective especially for arthritis, lameness and back pain, for support during chemotherapy, for active canine athletes, and for support of gastrointestinal, breathing and reproductive problems.

Let's look at a couple of cases from my colleagues that illustrate acupuncture in use. Clint, a seven-year-old Australian cattle dog with a big lump on his left side, had a biopsy that showed a grade 3 fat-cell tumour. His owners opted against trying a massive surgical removal. Clint was in pain to the point of sometimes crying out.

Acupuncture was begun around the mass to increase flow of Qi, stimulate the immune system, clear heat, and tackle the pain. The needles were left in for the standard 20 minutes. At the end of that first treatment, the mass was no longer hot; Clint slept on the ride home, then ran into the backyard and raced around and grabbed his lead, keen for a walk. He had not exercised willingly in the previous several weeks.

Clint was treated weekly for seven treatments then every two weeks. Clint loved his treatments, and would flop down on his bed for each visit. He lived an active, happy lifestyle off drugs of any kind for nearly a year after that first treatment and while his cancer eventually took his life, Clint had another year (six human-equivalent years) of active, happy times with his family. He had no pain medication until the last couple of weeks.

Our second case study is Max, an eight-year-old dachshund. As is common in his breed (with such an elongated body), one of Max's spinal discs had protruded, causing back pain and loss of coordination. This made Max very grumpy. Despite prednisone and rest, Max had remained painful. Acupuncture was added to his treatment when his owners opted against surgery. His back was painful and arched. The acupuncture points used were those around his narrowed disc space, as well as TCM points for pain, bone and the back area.

Immediately Max had less pain on palpation of his back, perhaps due to lessening of the muscle spasms. As is common post-treatment, Max slept soundly. When he awoke, he was using his rear legs better again. He was weaned completely off his prednisone and it's been over two years now, with Max revisiting for acupuncture every three months. He continued to improve with treatment, he can run again and even lift his leg to urinate. Max is happy again!

We've come a long way from fish-bone needles and our early misconceptions and finally have a sound understanding of the science behind acupuncture. Keep this treatment option in mind for your pets.

Dr Alex Melrose, BVSc, MRCVS, is the owner of VetCare Animal Hospital Grey Lynn in Auckland. He's on Facebook and Twitter.

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Pictures: Reuters