Acupuncture hasn't been around since the beginning of time, but almost! The Chinese wrote the first veterinary acupuncture book almost 2,000 years ago.

Acupuncture is based on the premise that the life processes of the human and animal body are energetic in nature (not biochemical as conventional medicine believes). This energy is believed to flow through the body in a series of channels, called meridians. Illness occurs when the free flow of energy in the meridians becomes blocked. Think about this like a river, the energy is the water flowing freely along the course of the river. Imagine building a dam in this river, the flow of energy would be curtailed, causing stagnation of the water behind the dam and flooding upstream. Downstream, would be draught conditions. On both sides of the blockage the flora and fauna would be negatively impacted, either by having too much water or too little. If you understand this concept, you understand the very basics of acupuncture.

Special, very thin needles, placed in very specific spots (acupuncture points) along the meridians are used to manipulate the flow of energy, or as the Chinese refer to it, Chi. By normalizing the flow of chi along the meridians, homeostasis can be restored and the body can then heal itself.

Chinese herbal medicine can be combined with acupuncture to potentiate the beneficial effects.

Acupuncture has proven very effective in many conditions, especially musculoskeletal pain. A recent veterinary study has shown that electro-acupuncture can be as effective as surgery in treating paresis and paralysis caused by disk disease in dogs. Hip dysplasia is another condition that responds quite favorably to acupuncture treatment.

The use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be a safe and effective way to improve function and reduce the pain associated with aging in geriatric pets, reducing the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy.