Evaluation of electroacupuncture treatment for thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease in dogs

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate use of electroacupuncture combined with standard Western medical treatment versus Western medical treatment alone for treatment of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease in dogs.

DESIGN

Prospective controlled study.

ANIMALS

50 dogs with signs of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease.

PROCEDURES

Dogs were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups and classified as having grade 1 to 5 neurologic dysfunction. Dogs in group 1 received electroacupuncture stimulation combined with standard Western medical treatment; those in group 2 received only standard Western medical treatment. A numeric score for neurologic function was evaluated at 4 time points to evaluate effects of treatments.

RESULTS

Time (mean +/- SD) to recover ambulation in dogs with grade 3 and 4 dysfunction in group 1 (10.10 +/- 6.49 days) was significantly lower than in group 2 (20.83 +/- 11.99 days). Success (able to walk without assistance) rate for dogs with grade 3 and 4 dysfunction in group 1 (10/10 dogs) was significantly higher than that of similarly affected dogs in group 2 (6/9 dogs). Dogs without deep pain perception (grade 5 dysfunction) had a success (recovery of pain sensation) rate of 3 of 6 and 1 of 8 in groups 1 and 2, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Overall success rate (all dysfunction grades) for group 1 (23/26; 88.5%) was significantly higher than for group 2 (14/24; 58.3%).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Electroacupuncture combined with standard Western medical treatment was effective and resulted in shorter time to recover ambulation and deep pain perception than did use of Western treatment alone in dogs with signs of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease.

Electro-acupuncture and Chinese herbs for treatment of cervical intervertebral disk disease in a dog

A non-ambulatory dog with tetraparesis following a pain episode that had evolved over 2 months was submitted for medical treatment and diagnosed with intervertebral disk disease at C3-C4 and dorsal extradural compression at C1-C2 and C3-C4 using myelography and computed tomography. The dog experienced ambulation recovery after 15 days of treatment with only electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, with marked improvement occurring after only 10 treatments. Six months of follow-up demonstrated that the dog was stable and had no recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, it was concluded that the combination of electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was responsible for motor rehabilitation.

Retrospective Study (2009-2014): Perineal Hernias and Related Comorbidities in Bitches

Retrospective study based on data extracted from medical records of dogs diagnosed with perineal hernia between 2009 and 2014; medical records of bitches were selected for further analysis to determine the prevalence of perineal hernias in bitches and to investigate potential comorbidities. Perineal hernia was diagnosed in 182 dogs (174 males and 8 females; 96% and 4%, respectively). Surgical correction was performed in 6 bitches. Surgical procedures corresponded to internal obturator muscle transposition with or without polypropylene mesh reinforcement (n = 5) and semitendinosus muscle transposition flap (n = 1). Major comorbidities associated with perineal hernias in adult bitches were trauma (n = 3; 7.3 ± 1.5 years; 7.1 ± 8.5kg) and persistent cough secondary to conditions such as bronchitis, tracheal collapse, and cardiopathy in aged, small-sized patients (n = 3; 13.6 ± 2.0 years; 2.3 ± 0.1kg). Perineal hernias are uncommon in bitches and tend to be associated with comorbidities in these patients. Aged female dogs suffering from uncontrolled chronic cough secondary to cardiopathy or bronchitis are at risk of developing perineal hernia. Previous trauma to the pelvis is another potential risk factor for perineal hernia development in female dogs.

Randomized single-blinded prospective comparison between ozone therapy and electroacupuncture for canine thoracolumbar disk disease

Ozone therapy has been used to control pain in animals. Moreover, electroacupuncture (EA) has been effective in neurological recovery and pain control in dogs with thoracolumbar discopathy. EA was compared with Ozone applied at acupuncture points in dogs with signs of thoracolumbar disk disease. Chondrodystrophic mongrel dogs, with lesion scores between 1 and 4, were randomly divided into groups: EA (n = 13) - electroacupuncture at BL20, BL23, ST36, KID3 and BL60 and dry needle in lumbar Bai Hui, and OZO (n = 15) - paravertebral application of 3 mL ozone (20 μg / mL) at BL20, BL23, lumbar Bai Hui, ST36, and KID3/BL60, both groups with weekly applications. No significant differences were observed between groups in weekly blind pain assessments using a dynamic interactive visual analog scale, and neurological assessments using a numerical-functional scale. Both groups showed a progressive improvement in pain control and neurological condition, which was observed when comparing the group's EA and OZO in dogs with all lesion scores. The time of return to locomotion (days) of dogs scored 3 and 4, between groups EA (10.6 ± 5.4) and OZO (14.5 ± 15.7), had no significant differences. Ozone therapy was effective to control pain and motor rehabilitation and sensory functions of dogs with thoracolumbar discopathy signs, just as electroacupuncture. Ozone application was a quick and easy-to-handle treatment. Paravertebral and subcutaneous routes did not require anesthesia or other advanced imaging technology, besides being safe and effective.

Mommy-track backlash

"Please don't tell me that I need to have a baby to have this time off." Those words were still ringing in the ears of Jessica Gonon an hour after a tense meeting with Jana Rowe, one of her key account managers. Jessica, the vice president of sales and customer support at ClarityBase, considered Jana's request for a four-day workweek, for which she was willing to take a corresponding 20% cut in pay. Although the facts seemed simple, the situation was anything but. Just last week, Davis Bennett, another account manager, had made a similar request. He wanted a lighter workload so he could train for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Both Jana and Davis were well aware that Megan Flood, another account manager, had been working a reduced schedule for nearly two years. When she was hired, Megan had requested Fridays off to spend time with her two young sons. And since she came highly recommended and the talent pool was tight, Jessica had agreed to the arrangement. The eight account managers at ClarityBase were in charge of helping the company's largest clients install and maintain database applications, which often required no small amount of hand-holding and coddling. Because Megan had an abbreviated schedule, the other account managers were assigned the more difficult clients. But if Jessica agreed to a shorter workweek for Jana and Davis, who would take on the toughest customers? And what would happen if the other account managers started asking for similar deals? How can Jessica maintain the productivity of her department and meet her staff's needs for flexible work schedules while striking an equitable solution for both parents and nonparents? Four experts advise Jessica on her next move in this fictional case study.

When to trust your gut

Many top executives say they routinely make big decisions without relying on any logical analysis. Instead, they call upon their "intuition," "gut instinct," "hunches," or "inner voice"--but they can't describe the process much more than that. What exactly is gut instinct? In this article, author Alden Hayashi interviews top executives from companies such as America Online and Johnson and Johnson to find out how they make decisions. Hayashi also presents the research of leading scientists who suggest that our emotions and feelings might not only be important in our intuitive ability to make good decisions but may actually be essential. Specifically, one theory contends that our emotions help us filter various options quickly, even if we're not consciously aware of the screening. Other research suggests that professional judgment can often be reduced to patterns and rules; indeed, truly inspired decisions seem to require an ability to see similar patterns across disparate fields. A CEO who possesses that ability can craft a perfect strategy by detecting patterns that others either overlook or mistake for random noise. But various traits of human nature can easily cloud our intuitive decision making. One potential pitfall is our tendency to see patterns where none exist. Thus, continual self-checking and feedback are crucial, and some organizations have made these processes part of their corporate culture.

Ozone therapy in veterinary medicine: clinical indications and techniques

Ozone therapy application and research have increased recently. The mixture of oxygen-ozone (O2-O3) has been used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of several diseases with beneficial effects. This brief literature review has the objective of disclosing the mechanisms of action and main clinical indications and possibilities of ozone therapy for different conditions. The local and systemic approaches and techniques described for human treatment can be easily transposed for use in animals, such as rectal insufflation; bag therapy; ozonated oil; intradiscal and paravertebral applications; in acupuncture points; minor autohemotherapy, and major autohemotherapy. The possibilities of clinical indications and dosages were also described, including immunological and infectious diseases. Although it is a minimally invasive and relatively safe approach, more clinical studies are necessary to standardize techniques, doses, and clinical indications.

Exames radiográficos simples e tomográficos do segmento lombossacro da coluna vertebral em cães da raça Pastor Alemão: estudo comparativo

O termo síndrome da cauda equina (SCE) define as manifestações clínicas oriundas da disfunção sensorial e/ou motora causada pela lesão das raízes nervosas que formam a porção terminal da medula espinhal. A estenose lombossacra é a causa mais comum, correlacionando-se às alterações das partes moles e/ou tecidos ósseos neste segmento. Este estudo teve por objetivo realizar uma análise crítica da contribuição dos métodos de imagem, quais sejam exames: radiográfico simples e tomográfico, para avaliação do segmento lombossacro em 30 cães da raça Pastor Alemão. Sendo treze animais pertencentes ao grupo (A) sem manifestações clínicas e alterações radiográficas no segmento lombosacro; doze animais pertencentes ao grupo (B) sem manifestações clínicas com alterações radiográficas no segmento lombossacro e cinco animais pertencentes ao grupo (C) com manifestações clínicas e portadores de alterações radiográficas no segmento lombossacro. Todos os exames foram submetidos a um protocolo de avaliação. O exame tomográfico mostrou-se superior na avaliação do canal vertebral, foramens intervertebrais e processos articulares, os quais puderam ser avaliados com maior riqueza de detalhes. Concluiu-se com esta pesquisa que as duas modalidades de imagem se complementam, constituindo ferramentas importantes na avaliação clínico-cirúrgica do segmento lombossacro, auxiliando no diagnóstico, estabelecimento do prognóstico e da terapêutica a ser adotada.

Avaliação da eletroacupuntura na consolidação óssea em cães com fratura de rádio-ulna

Acupuntura promove estimulação sensorial periférica e liberação de neuropeptídeos, podendo influenciar a consolidação óssea. O objetivo deste estudo clínico prospectivo foi avaliar os efeitos da eletroacupuntura (EA) na consolidação óssea e densidade mineral óssea em cães com fratura de rádio-ulna (FRU) após redução fechada e imobilização externa. Dez cães com FRU foram aleatoriamente destinados em dois grupos. Grupo 1 (n=5) recebeu EA percutânea imediatamente após a redução fechada e imobilização externa; após este primeiro momento, foram feitas aplicações duas vezes por semana durante 4 semanas. Grupo 2 (n=5) não recebeu EA. Um sistema de escore radiográfico (ER) e densitometria óptica radiográfica (DOR) foram utilizados para avaliar a consolidação da fratura no primeiro dia de avaliação clínica no hospital (M1), 30 dias (M30) e 45 dias (M45) após tratamento. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. Valores (média ±DP) de DOR (mmAl) entre os grupos 1 e 2 não tiveram diferença significativa (P=0.15) em todos os momentos, respectivamente valores de M1 (4.94±0.94; 4.3±1.14), M30 (5.19±1,24; 4,91±1.45) e M45 (5.16±1.12; 5.31±1.71). Média±DP de ER do grupo 1 no M30 (2.8±0.83) foi significativamente diferente (P=0.003) do M45 (4.6±0.54). Entretanto, média±DP de ER do grupo 2 no M30 (4.4±1.51) não teve diferença significativa (P=0.30) do M45 (5.16±0.75). Comparações dos valores de ER entre os grupos 1 e 2 não tiveram diferença significativa no M30 (P=0.07) e M45 (P=0.19). Conclui-se que a EA não acelerou a consolidação óssea e não aumentou a densidade mineral óssea em cães com FRU durante os 45 dias avaliados após o tratamento.