Page 118 - BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

6 | Physical methods used to alleviate pain: complementary therapies

VetBooks.ir ■ Spondylosis spondylitis acupuncture can
be used for the secondary muscular pain in
the epaxial muscles, but also in the
sublumbar muscles, pectoral muscles and
limbs if a ected.
■ Chiari malformation syringomyelia
acupuncture may improve the secondary
muscle pain around the neck and should be
added to the treatment regime where there
is a palpable muscle pain; and b signs of
discomfort and su ering in between attacks
of yelping screaming and phantom
scratching. It will not usually reduce the
screaming and scratching, nor would it be
expected to, given the cause of these signs.
Chronic orthopaedic pain – arthritis
Sources of arthritic pain include oint
in ammation; bone on bone impingement;
fragments or ssures within the oint; ligament 3 ound healing is promoted by
acupuncture.
and tendon pain; secondary muscle pain; and Courtesy of Vicky Emmott
potential central sensiti ation. Acupuncture may
reduce the nociceptive input from the oint,
reduce secondary muscle and soft tissue pain, Chronic gastrointestinal pain
and reduce central sensiti ation. reat as close Acupuncture can modify function and reduce
to the oint as possible without entering the pain in the viscera. A secondary consideration is
oint oint margins can be needled if safely the potential for viscerosomatic pain, where
identi ed; trigger the points in the ad acent painful visceral stimuli cause trigger points in
muscles and those a ected by postural shift, the body wall igure 6. 1 . hese trigger points
especially the epaxials. If the a ected oint is too may then maintain or exacerbate the signs of
painful to needle, target areas above and below
the oint and mirror points on the contralateral
limb. reatments can often be limited to
monthly or 6 weekly once the pain is controlled.
Electroacupuncture should be used as the
animal gets older and the treatment appears
less e ective because there is more input with
which to compete .
Chronic dermatological pain –
self-trauma and wound healing
here is good evidence for the use of
acupuncture in wound healing ansen et al.,
1989 . Place needles as close as possible to
the edge of the wound in healthy skin to the he trigger points in the thoracolumbar
depth of the tissue damage and . cm apart 3 epaxial muscles of this lurcher appeared
igure 6. . Acupuncture appears to be to maintain daily classical signs of pancreatitis lip
helpful for acral lick dermatitis treat as for licking, praying , excessive yawning, swan posture
in the absence of a positive canine pancreatic lipase
open wounds, but also add S 6, LI11 and immunoreactivity cPLI test. reatment of these points
V14 and V . appeared to resolve the signs completely.
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