Acupuncture has been used for many centuries and is the painless positioning of very fine needles to specific points of the body, with good effect. Most used for its pain-killing effect, with animals there can be no placebo effect. The needles act on the nerve impulses at the affected site.
Acupuncture can be used to alleviate pain caused by:
- Arthritis
- Muscle spasms
- Back pain
Acupuncture is usually performed in a normal consultation appointment, needles are placed place in the animal and left there for 5-15 minutes. Acupuncture is normally performed weekly for an initial period of 3-4 weeks, after which the frequency is adjusted to suit the patient.
Electro-acupuncture may particularly help:
- Muscle atrophy
- Muscle spasticity
- Nerve trauma such as disc disease
- Poor wound healing
- Cases that have become poor responders to dry needle acupuncture
Cases where electroacupuncture may not be appropriate are those with cardiac arrhythmias, pacemakers, epileptics, metal implants and in pregnancy (due to lack of safety data).
Animals are assessed for suitability for the treatment before embarking on a course and to check that they will be comfortable with treatments.
Appointments can be booked as consultations with the owner present, although your pet can also be admitted as a day patient if this suits you better.
Ellie is based at our Thornbury Surgery and works Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, call 01454 415478 to make an appointment. All of our contact information can be found here.