Veterinary Acupuncture: An Ancient Tradition for Modern Times

Physical Rehabilitation in Zoological Companion Animals

Animal physical rehabilitation is one of the fast-growing fields in veterinary medicine in recent years. It has become increasingly common in small animal practice and will continue to emerge as an essential aspect of veterinary medicine that plays a vital role in the care of animals with physical impairments or disabilities from surgery, injuries, or diseases.1 This is true now more than ever because of the increasing advances in lifesaving treatments, the increased lifespan of companion animals, and the growth of chronic conditions, of which many are associated with movement disorders. The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV) defines APR as "the diagnosis and management of patients with painful or functionally limiting conditions, particularly those with injury or illness related to the neurologic and musculoskeletal systems." Rehabilitation not only focuses on recovery after surgical procedures but also on improving the function and quality of life in animals suffering from debilitating diseases such as arthritis or neurologic disorders. The overall goal of APR is to decrease pain, reduce edema, promote tissue healing, restore gait and mobility to its prior activity level, regain strength, prevent further injury, and promote optimal quality of life. Typically, a multimodal approach with pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical interventions is used by APR therapists to manage patients during their recovery. The purpose of this article aims to provide knowledge and guidance on physical rehabilitation to help veterinarians in the proper return of their patients with ZCA safely after injury and/or surgery.

A randomized controlled clinical trial on the effect of acupuncture therapy in dairy cows affected by pyometra

Pyometra (PYO) is a reproductive disease characterized by the accumulation of purulent or mucopurulent material within the uterine lumen, in the presence of an active corpus luteum (CL). As the CL continues secreting progesterone, PYO would develop following endometritis. Due to prohibited use of artificial luteolytic hormones in US certified organic dairies, conventional therapies consisting of administration of prostaglandin F2α, are not applicable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two acupuncture procedures on the treatment of persistent CL in cows with PYO. We hypothesized that acupuncture would reduce CL diameter and serum progesterone (P4) concentrations, leading to regression of PYO. Holstein cows with PYO, at an USDA certified organic dairy farm in Northern Colorado, were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial and assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) control pyometra (CP; no treatment; n = 17); (2) electroacupuncture (EAP; n = 15); and (3) laser acupuncture (LAP; n = 15). Each cow received three 9-min (EAP) or 20-min (LAP) acupuncture sessions in alternate days. All study cows had blood samples collected for determination of serum progesterone concentration at d0, and at d2, d4, d11, d18, and d25 after first treatment. The ovaries were scanned by transrectal ultrasonography at -3d, d0, d2, d4, d11, and d18 to determine the diameter of the CL. The effect of treatment in the outcome variables was evaluated by ANOVA and by repeated measures analyses, accounting for baseline data (CL diameter and progesterone serum concentration). Average ± SE change in CL diameter from d0 to d18 were 0.94 ± 1.0 mm, 0 ± 1.0 mm, and - 0.33 ± 1.0 mm for CP, EAP, and LAP, respectively. The repeated measures analysis indicated no significant differences for CL diameter among groups. None of the study cows had serum progesterone values <1 ng/ml by the end of the monitoring period (d25) and average ± SE change from d0 to d25 were - 4.0 ± 1.97 ng/ml, -0.76 ± 2.1 ng/ml, and 3.24 ± 1.9 ng/ml for CP, EAP, and LAP, respectively. The repeated measures analysis indicated no significant differences for serum progesterone concentrations among groups. On farm cow records reviewed 150 d after treatment indicated that 2 cows in EAP and 1 cow in LAP conceived 38 d, 68 d, and 38 d, after treatment completion. In conclusion, acupuncture was not an effective treatment for persistent CL in cows with PYO, during the monitoring period.

ESTUDO RETROSPECTIVO DE 98 FELINOS SUBMETIDOS À ACUPUNTURA ATENDIDOS EM SERVIÇO DE REABILITAÇÃO E DOR CRÔNICA

Resumo Este estudo retrospectivo avaliou os casos clínicos de felinos atendidos em Serviço de Reabilitação e Dor Crônica, durante 13 anos, totalizando 98 prontuários. Os objetivos deste estudo foram caracterizar o perfil do paciente atendido e avaliar a eficácia da acupuntura (AP) e dos métodos associados a esta técnica no tratamento de doenças em felinos e respectiva evolução clínica. Constatou-se que 69,7% dos pacientes melhoraram após tratamento com AP, 16,7% não apresentaram resposta significativa e 13,6% vieram a óbito. Não foram registrados casos de piora relacionados ao tratamento com AP, embora, dos nove animais que vieram a óbito, três foram devido à progressão da doença primária tratada exclusivamente com AP. As principais afecções tratadas foram relacionadas ao sistema nervoso - sobretudo trauma medular e encefálico - em que se registrou uma melhora em 53,7% dos animais. O tratamento foi considerado eficaz quando os pacientes recuperaram a capacidade normal de deambulação e em casos de doenças medulares quando o escore neurológico mudou de IV (grave) ou V (muito grave) para I (normal) ou II (leve alteração). A técnica de agulha seca foi a mais utilizada para os tratamentos, com 94,7% de prevalência, seguida da eletroacupuntura (30,6%) e da laserpuntura (21,4%). O número de sessões totais de AP foi em média de 6,97±14,97, sendo as mesmas semanais. Conclui-se que o estímulo de acupontos utilizando diferentes métodos foi eficiente para tratar a maioria dos gatos com diversas condições clínicas, evidenciando que esta espécie provavelmente responde tão bem como os cães após o tratamento de AP.

A scoping review of the evidence for efficacy of acupuncture in companion animals

Acupuncture has become increasingly popular in veterinary medicine. Within the scientific literature there is debate regarding its efficacy. Due to the complex nature of acupuncture, a scoping review was undertaken to identify and categorize the evidence related to acupuncture in companion animals (dogs, cats, and horses). Our search identified 843 relevant citations. Narrative reviews represented the largest proportion of studies (43%). We identified 179 experimental studies and 175 case reports/case series that examined the efficacy of acupuncture. Dogs were the most common subjects in the experimental trials. The most common indication for use was musculoskeletal conditions, and the most commonly evaluated outcome categories among experimental trials were pain and cardiovascular parameters. The limited number of controlled trials and the breadth of indications for use, outcome categories, and types of acupuncture evaluated present challenges for future systematic reviews or meta-analyses. There is a need for high-quality randomized controlled trials addressing the most common clinical uses of acupuncture, and using consistent and clinically relevant outcomes, to inform conclusions regarding the efficacy of acupuncture in companion animals.

Comparison of Point Placement by Veterinary Professionals with Different Levels of Acupuncture Training in a Canine Cadaver Model

Veterinary acupuncture is becoming increasingly implemented for various disease processes, with growing numbers of veterinarians pursuing advanced training to meet the rising demand for this relatively new intervention. Accurate acupoint placement remains challenging, with individual practitioners relying on varying methods of point identification, often compounded by the transpositional nature of points for companion animals. The aim of this study was to assess for differences in acupuncture needle placement of select points between veterinary professionals with three different levels of acupuncture training in an academic teaching environment. Seven participants placed a total of six acupoints on a canine cadaver. Digital radiography was used to document each participant's point placement. Each participant's point location was then compared to a control "correct" point, and the distance between the two points was measured. A significant difference in placement accuracy was identified between the participants when grouped by training level (p = 0.03). These results indicate that veterinary patients receiving acupuncture treatment from veterinarians with different levels of training may subsequently experience varying effects, although further studies are warranted on more specific acupoint description as well as the clinical implications of needle placement accuracy.

Acupuncture for zoological companion animals

Research in complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) has increased dramatically in recent years. Acupuncture represents the most commonly practiced and extensively researched of all the CAVM modalities. Acupuncture is considered a valid therapeutic mode of treatment that can be integrated into Western veterinary medicine for the treatment of large, small, and zoological companion animal patients, especially in the area of analgesia. This article is intended to provide a guide for the zoological companion animal practitioner to gain a basic understanding of acupuncture and its potential for use in the zoological companion animal patient.

Ten Years Evidence-based High-Tech Acupuncture Part 3: A Short Review of Animal Experiments

High-tech acupuncture research has been performed for 10 years at the Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the Medical University of Graz. This article as a part of a series comprises animal experiments in the field of needle and laser acupuncture. The investigations presented in this article were performed in pigs, dogs and sheep. In all studies sedative stimulation effects of the acupoint Yintang are described using different measurement parameters (EEG-bispectral index, EEG spectral edge frequency and metabolic parameters).