Equine Acupuncture Referrals
Examination & Treatment
What will the examination entail?
- Taking a detailed history. This is important as chronic pain may be the result of an injury that occurred and appeared to heal months or even years ago
- Examination and palpation of the horse at rest in the stable. Any acupuncture points that are sensitive to light or deep pressure are noted.
- Trotting up
Where appropriate:
- Assessment of the horse on the lunge and ridden
- A full dental inspection
- Assessment of foot balance
- Checking the fit of the bridle and saddle
Following the examination and treatment, a full report will be sent to your own vet. If any problems that require further investigation or conventional veterinary treatment come to light during the examination, these will be dealt with by your vet.
The treatment
Following this thorough examination, a treatment formula will be devised. This is a collection of acupuncture points which are selected especially to treat your horse's individual problems. It is likely to include the points which were most sensitive on palpation. Between 8 and 21 needles are commonly used. The needles may be inserted and removed almost immediately or left in for between 10-30 minutes. The needles may be manipulated by hand or attached to a battery-operated electroacupuncture unit to increase the intensity of the stimulation. With certain conditions the needles or the acupuncture points may be warmed by burning a herb called Artemesia vulgaris. This is known as moxibustion.
Treatment may relieve chronic pain for days, weeks, months or even years.
Manipulating the needles
by hand |
Electroacupuncture
|
Moxibustion
|
Laser acupuncture
|
How many treatments will my horse need?
The number of treatments is variable, depending on the severity of the symptoms and how long the horse has been experiencing problems. A new injury may well resolve with just 1 or 2 treatments. When a horse has been experiencing chronic pain for months or years, between 4-6 sessions are usually needed at 1-2 week intervals. However, some of these patients will make an excellent improvement after just 1 or 2 sessions.
Rehabilitation and follow up
very relaxed from the treatment
When a horse is treated with acupuncture, it is important that it is re-examined prior to each treatment. Wherever possible, factors which contributed to the problem should be addressed and removed. Following musculoskeletal injuries, advice will be given on an exercise programme and rehabilitation.
How do I manage my horse and how will he feel after treatment?
Most horses feel very relaxed both during and after acupuncture.
They should be left quietly in the stable for about half an hour following treatment and then turned out in the field. If at all possible they should not do any hard work for 24 hours.
After just one session, most owners report a significant improvement in their horse's demeanour. Many comment that the horse has gone back to being a relaxed, friendly animal and they hadn't realised just how grumpy he/she had become.
Summary
Acupuncture can be used to treat a wide range of conditions. It may be used on its own or to complement conventional veterinary treatment. It works well with other therapies including physiotherapy, healing, chiropractic, osteopathy and homeopathy. In many cases it provides another option when the results of conventional treatment have been disappointing.