Acupuncture

      Acupuncture is an atraumatic technique in which thin needles are inserted into specific sites on the body to achieve a physiologic response.  Disease interferes with the body’s ability to recover appropriately; acupuncture attempts to normalize the body, to enable it to recover or heal more readily.  Acupuncture has local as well as systemic effects.  The points and channels used, follow the routes of nerves, vessels, and muscular intersections.
      Acupuncture is a complimentary therapy used in conjunction with traditional medicine to treat or manage a disease or condition.  Arthritis is one of many conditions that can be treated with acupuncture; others include gastrointestinal disturbances, skin problems, urinary disease, and neuropathies.
​Acupuncture is utilized like any other medical treatment—after appropriate diagnostic testing, imaging, and consultations have been performed.
      Every individual responds differently to acupuncture and there is no typical response.  It is generally designed to be a non-stressful experience and most animals relax with treatment.  The overall effects can take up to 48 hours to be realized and some pets need a few treatments before the effects are apparent, although, most people notice a difference in their pet after the first treatment. 

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Acupuncture utilizes the body’s innate abilities to reach homeostasis and recover more readily.

• Thin needles used to stimulate neurovascularly active points on the body in an attempt to normalize using homeostatic mechanisms and/or neuromodulation.
• Homeostatic (or homeostasis) – relating to or a tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium within the body or between interdependent body systems
• Neuromodulation – an atraumatic treatment that improves nerve function, reduces pain, restores function and maintains homeostasis
• Neurovascularly active – areas rich in nerves and vessels