Page 608 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

Acupuncture is especially useful for treating the following.

• Any type of muscle soreness or tension, particularly of the neck, shoulders, back and
VetBooks.ir hindquarters. Clinical signs that may be alleviated by acupuncture include:

–
cold backs, i.e. resentment of saddling and girthing, dipping on mounting
– general stiffness, inability to bend on one or both reins

– head tilt, inability to flex from the poll
– shortness of stride, not going forward from the leg

– disunited or ‘bunny-hopping’ at canter

– moving unlevel behind

– ‘hopping’ in the transition from walk to trot

– bucking in the transition from trot to canter
– general irritability and bucking

– soreness experienced during grooming and rugging up.

• Digestive problems including poor appetite, diarrhoea, some types of colic.

• Respiratory problems.
• Reproductive problems.

• Post-viral lethargy.

• Poor immunity.

• Horses that are just ‘under the weather’ where a specific diagnosis has not been made
despite investigations including blood tests.

How does acupuncture work?

WESTERN SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION

Inserting an acupuncture needle causes a very small amount of trauma to the tissue. This

causes the release of many chemical mediators, each of which plays a role in repairing the
damage. As a result of this stimulation, the blood supply and immune status of the tissues is
increased and they are better able to deal with any problems.

The acupuncture needles also stimulate sensory nerve endings which transmit impulses to

the spinal cord and the brain. This leads to the release of opioid neurotransmitters such as
endorphins and enkephalins that have an action similar to morphine and reduce the amount of
pain experienced by the horse. This is achieved in two ways. For a horse to experience pain,

nerve impulses travel from the site of injury to the spinal cord and thence to the sensory area
of the cerebral cortex of the brain, where the sensation of pain is perceived. Acupuncture can