Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing method based on the insertion of very small needles into specific points on the body to bring relief from pain and treatment of disease. The western medical world has taken this technique to treat in combination with conventional medicine or use when other treatments have failed to work. Acupuncture stimulates the body’s repair mechanisms in the nervous, immune and hormonal systems.

Acupuncture is most beneficial in the treatment of muscular pain and muscle trigger points. Optimum results are achieved when used in combination with chiropractic as both techniques work on stimulating the nervous system. Acupuncture alters the perception of pain giving relief to horses suffering from chronic disease pain enabling pain medication dose to be reduced.

Frequently treated conditions include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Respiratory disease
  • Gastrointestinal disease – Chronic diarrhoea, recurrent spasmodic colic, weight loss
  • Poor performance syndromes
  • Infertility/reproductive problems
  • Behavioural problems

All horses are individuals, some tolerate it very well, others do not. Sedation can be used if necessary to place the needles.

In addition to conventional acupuncture we also use electro-acupuncture. This allows a very small a safe current with fluctuating frequency to be passed through the needles. It often creates a stronger result and has been used successfully for:

  • Trigeminal Neuralgia Head Shaking
  • Chronic Back pain with muscular atrophy (loss)
  • Front and Hind suspensory desmitis
  • Laminitis