Flying Changes: magazine for northwest sporthorse enthusiasts

Can this ancient treatment help your modern sport horse? In many cases, the answer is yes. Acupuncture can be effective for treating musculoskeletal problems, such as back pain, tendon inflammation, joint pain, decrease in stride, and obscure lamenesses. By stimulating the nerves and vessels that effect these structures, an acupuncturist is able to relieve muscle tension, increase circulation, and relieve chronic restrictions.

Many horses develop chronic pain from certain repetitive motions in each discipline. Acupuncture helps by maintaining and increasing blood flow, relieving trigger points and chronic muscle tightness that the body develops to protect an area or compensate for pain elsewhere . Because acupuncture effects the nerves, it is often very effective in treating nerve paralysis or a decrease in nerve function, such as facial nerve paralysis.

Due to its profound effect on blood flow, acupuncture is also useful in treating conditions such as laminitis and navicular disease. There are some acupuncture points that effect gastro-intestinal (GI) motility and acupuncture has been shown in studies to help with acute, non-surgical colic, chronic colic, diarrhea, and other GI problems. Acupuncture is also useful in heaves, allergies, bleeders, and reproductive problems. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but it can be helpful when indicated.

Many world-class human athletes use regular acupuncture treatments to help maintain maximum performance and relieve minor flare-ups before they become problems necessitating lay-off time. Likewise, several top-level performance horses and racehorses receive regular treatment to keep them at peak levels—especially when undergoing rigorous training.

How will your horse react to acupuncture? Every horse has a unique personality and a different response to acupuncture. Some horses are very relaxed and often lower their head and get sleepy from the endorphins. Others are more reactive when treated, but most calm down as soothing endorphins are released. Most horses require no sedation or restraint and the majority learn to accept and enjoy the effects. Because the acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, there is less reaction than you would get from a typical hypodermic needle.

Interestingly, horses tend to show results more rapidly and be more responsive than humans to treatment. Some neurologists theorize that this may be due to the fact that more of the horses’ brain is devoted to survival skills—so a larger part of the brain is effected by acupuncture. (Humans have a much larger cerebral cortex, devoted to higher-level thinking.)

Most horses respond remarkably well to acupuncture and often only require two to three treatments. Each treatment typically lasts from 20 to 30 minutes. Generally, the more chronic the problem, the more treatments it will take to resolve the issue. With a mild problem, a horse might receive a treatment once a month for two to three months and then go on an as-needed basis. Top performance horses in intense training programs might be treated monthly or every other month. A chronic injury or ongoing lameness might require two to four treatments per year. As expected, the severity of the problem will typically determine the number of treatments required to make the horse move comfortable and freely once again.

Interested in finding a practitioner? I recommend finding a veterinarian who has been certified as a veterinary acupuncturist to help your horse. Most veterinarians who are interested in acupuncture attend a 150-180 hour course over a 5-month period to become certified in Veterinary Acupuncture.
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to help horses live and perform with less pain and more freedom in movement. It can be used by itself , in conjunction with conventional western veterinary medicine, and as a complement to chiropractic care. Because it is a safe method of treating horses, acupuncture is well worth investigating for animals who aren’t responding to conventional medical treatment.

Aimee Witherspoon, DVM is a veterinarian who is certified in both acupuncture and chiropractic therapy. She also teaches as a clinical preceptor for Colorado State University’s Veterinary School, for their course on acupuncture for veterinarians. Aimee lives in Ridgefield, Washington and competes with her Dutch Warmblood gelding, Ripley, in eventing and dressage. See her listing in our Directory of Services under Integrative Veterinary Services.

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