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Acupuncture at Northwest Surgeons
March 2011
Acupuncture has proven to be a valuable addition to the Pain Management Clinic. Matt Gurney has recently undertaken further training in electroacupuncture to increase the options available for treating both acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats at Northwest Surgeons.
Electroacupuncture involves placing needles in pairs and passing a small electric current between the two. It is widely considered the gold standard for acupuncture as it increases the level of stimulation applied by the needles. The stimulus is non painful and at most feels like a tapping or buzzing sensation. Although it causes no trauma or pain, the stimulus is perceived by the brain as pain and activates the body’s own pain relieving mechanisms.
Both manual and electro acupuncture are well tolerated by dogs and some cats – even those which resent normal injections because the needles used for acupuncture are much smaller. Each treatment session lasts 20-30 minutes and it is usual to give 4 treatments at weekly intervals before assessing the animal’s response. Typically, dogs with chronic pain such as that caused by arthritis require ongoing sessions at an interval of 7-14 days and in many cases this reduces the need for additional drug therapy.
