The Ancient Medical Therapy of Equine Acupuncture
Bill Brewster , The Big Sky Sun
Published 04/17/2008 – 10:32 a.m. MST
Bill Brewster
Website:
www.thebigskysun.com
Email:
editor@thebigskysun.com
At the recent Murdoch’s Equine Days on April 12 in Bozeman, CSR Equine veterinarian Dr. Lisa S.Baller presented horse owners information about the use of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for equine athletes.
A certified veterinary acupuncturist, Dr. Baller is on the staff at this state-of-the-art medical and surgical center that is located near the Four Corners area of Bozeman.
A combination of state-of-the-art technology, veterinary expertise, and a passion for horses ensures the highest quality service.
CSR Equine serves the Rocky Mountain West and partners with fellow veterinarians as a regional referral hospital. As a partner in performance and horse health, our medical and surgical center is here to serve ranchers, breeders, competitors of all kinds and horses of all breeds.
Dr. Baller has special interests in lameness, sports medicine, reproductive services, acupuncture, preventative care and alternative therapies. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2003 and has been practicing in the Gallatin Valley ever since. In addition, she is a registered USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) veterinarian for approved rated hunter/jumper shows. She competes in hunter/jumper events with her Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods.
A fifth generation native of the Livingstone, Paradise Valley, Baller’s family owned the John Deere dealership
for over 50 years.
Here is information about equine acupuncture that she has written to help horse owners understand the potential for this ancient therapy that has contemporary applications.
“Acupuncture is the ancient medical therapy of placing solid needles into the body at specific anatomical locations for therapeutic benefit. This practice has been used for over 3000 years on humans and animals and yet has a very real application for today’s equine competitor. It was once believed that the needles placed in these points were releasing energy (qi, or chi) that had been blocked, but under conventional Western scientific studies it has been found that the acupuncture needles are stimulating the nervous system and causing release of different body chemicals. These chemicals improve circulation, decrease pain, and relax muscle spasms. This allows the veterinarian to aid the body in healing itself without the use of medications which can have very detrimental side effects or be illegal for use in competition.
“Common uses for acupuncture include treatment of sore backs which can be very frustrating for a practitioner to treat with conventional western medicine alone. The majority of the time a horse with a sore back is due to some other cause of the pain which in turn makes the horse compensate in his back muscles. Although western medicine is usually able to treat the initial cause adequately (for example joint injections for arthritis in hock joints), we fall short on the whole body treatment and after care. Acupuncture is able to treat those muscles and nerves that have been compensating for the sore joints resulting in a more thorough treatment plan and quicker return to athletic performance. This can also be the case for post-operative/ post-injury rehab care where acupuncture can improve circulation, decrease muscle soreness, and shorten recovery periods for your horse. Another typical treatment application for acupuncture is in increasing performance levels in our equine athletes. This can range from an increase in the speed level of a barrel horse to dramatic improvement in range of motion in a dressage horse. Maintenance of these high level athletes can be challenging, yet acupuncture is another tool that can be utilized and has the benefit of being drug-free.
“There are several different techniques available with the treatment of acupuncture. Traditionally, ‘dry needling’ is the insertion of sterile needles at selected points with stimulation by twisting or tapping the needles. Electric stimulation is applying a mild electric current through needles at specific points to provide more pain control and increase the area affected. Finally, aqua-puncture is the injection of sterile solutions (usually Vitamin B12) into the acupuncture points to cause increased stimulation for longer periods of time. One or all of these treatments may be used during an acupuncture session depending on the horse’s need and the practitioner’s protocol. Overall, acupuncture is a very useful complementary therapy that has many applications in combination with today’s western medicine in our equine athletes.”
For more information about Equine Acupuncture please call CSR Equine at 406-4522-4044 and ask to talk to Dr. Baller. Additional information is available on the clinic’s website: www.csrequine.com. CSR Equine welcomes your calls and looks forward to serving the needs of the equine community