Twickenham Veterinary Surgery
Veterinary Acupuncture
Information Leaflet
If you have any questions please ask for Christabel at:
Twickenham Veterinary Surgery
58 Hampton Road
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW2 5QB
Tel: 020 8898 0528
Email:[email protected]
www.twickenhamvets.com
Veterinary Acupuncture: A Brief History
Veterinary acupuncture is based on the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture for humans which was
developed up to 4,000 years ago in China. It is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which
treats the body as a whole rather than just treating the affected parts or symptoms.
Disease is considered to be the result of abnormal, or disordered, energy flow in the body. The
Chinese charted the normal flow of energy in the body several thousand years ago as the Meridians
or Channels. There are 12 major Meridians which correlate to the Chinese classification of Organs,
and 8 extra Meridians, which channel the energy through the body.
According to the Ancient Chinese, health depends on the regular rhythmic flow of energy and on the
balance between Yin and Yang, the ‘eternal opposites’. Disease is therefore a state of imbalance or
blockage in the normal energy flows of the body.
The mechanism involved in acupuncture is obscure to Western minds. Every living animal is thought
to be born with life energy (Qi or chi). This energy is used up by the body with everyday tasks and is
replenished by eating and breathing. Imbalance in the flow of Qi through the Meridians can be
caused by internal or external factors and results in disease or illness. Acupuncture has recently
been adapted for a more western approach: many more practitioners are using this western
approach, making acupuncture more widely available whilst still achieving extremely high success
rates.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
TCM explanation: acupuncture attempts to rebalance the flow of energy through the body. This is
achieved by inserting needles into certain points on the body’s surface. Sometimes these points may
be far from the actual area of the illness. By inserting the needles into certain predetermined points
on the Meridians, the energy channels, which have shut down due to disease, are encouraged to
reopen. In this way, acupuncture stimulates the body’s own healing powers and enables it to
maintain the equilibrium of its internal environment.
Western explanation: needles are placed into muscles, stimulating certain nerve fibres (A delta and C
nerve fibres), which send a message up to a part of the brain called the periaqueductal grey (PAG).
This is where the neurotransmitters responsible for the transmission of pain signals are released
from, and it is thought that acupuncture works by interrupting the transmission of these
neurotransmitters, thereby stopping the transmission of pain. The insertion of needles also facilitates
the release of naturally occurring neurotransmitters, including endogenous opioids and relaxin, which
help to counteract the pain on a psychological level.
What Can Acupuncture Be Used For?
Modern research has shown that acupuncture can affect most of the body systems. The success
depends on the body’s stimulated ability to heal, and therefore whether or not mechanisms exist
within the body which, if properly stimulated, can resolve the problem.
There are many spectacular successes, some disappointments and some cases where only
temporary relief is achieved.
Acupuncture is especially useful in the following conditions:

Arthritis

Back pain

Chronic catarrh

Chronic diarrhoea

Spinal disc problems

Hip dysplasia

Incontinence

Injuries involving ligaments, tendons and muscles

Paralysis

Sinusitis

Spondylosis

Some skin conditions

Trapped nerves
It can also help any chronic pain which is not being controlled adequately by conventional treatments
or when side effects are a problem.
The Treatment
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of a varying number of needles which are left in place
for varying periods of between 5 and 45 minutes.
The average number of treatments is about four and if improvement is likely to follow, it will normally
be apparent by then. Some problems may need more treatments before showing signs of
improvement, but generally if there is no improvement at all after four treatments, it is unlikely that
acupuncture will have an effect. Approximately 5% of cases will not respond to acupuncture.
Treatments are usually once a week to begin with, then at longer intervals, according to progress.
Acute conditions may need more frequent treatments and chronic conditions may require booster
treatments at varying intervals.
Why Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a useful form of therapy, especially for conditions that do not respond well to orthodox
means. It is not a cure-all, but can be used successfully to treat conditions either on its own, or in
conjunction with conventional therapy. It can fill a gap but will never replace conventional therapy; it
can at times be beneficial when other treatments have failed.
Acupuncture has the advantage that undesirable side effects of some drug therapies can be avoided.
Will My Animal Need To Be Sedated For Treatment?
No. Most patients will accept needles fairly well. Most animals relax and some even fall asleep
during the treatment. You will be asked to stay with your pet for the duration of each treatment.
Is There Any Risk?
There is very little risk from acupuncture treatment when performed by a competent acupuncturist. In
some strong reactors temporary aggravation is quickly followed by substantial relief.
The Cost of Acupuncture
1st session: £47.50 (approx 30 – 60 mins)
Subsequent sessions: £35.50
(approx 10 – 45 mins)
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK FOR CHRISTABEL MOSELEY BVSc MRCVS OR
LAURA SELLEY BVetMed MRCVS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME INVOLVED IN AN ACUPUNCTURE
CONSULTATION, PROMPT ARRIVAL IS APPRECIATED, AND ANY FAILED APPOINTMENTS
WILL INCUR A FEE OF £30.