The animal is examined from head to tail to discover any abnormal tenderness, pain signs, tone and texture changes, or myofascial trigger points. Together with the history of the animal’s health, these points are then taken and analysed to form an acupuncture plan in order to address the condition. A combination of local and distant points are treated to appropriate depths. Often the animal becomes drowsy during the 15-20 minutes of leaving the needles in place. One of the most important aspects of acupuncture practice is judging the individual animal’s requirements for the number of points and amount of needle stimulation to use.

I also use electro-acupuncture occasionally. It is preferred in cases of nerve injury or nerve loss and muscle atrophy (wasting). Spinal disk disease, spinal cord injury, back pain with muscle wasting, brachial plexus and sciatica are all cases that benefit from electroacupuncture. This basically involves attaching leads from a specialised device to the needles and applying a gentle electrical stimulation to cause the muscles to activate, and it quickens the rate of nerve regeneration.