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relief. 10 – 15 Others, such as extracorporeal shockwave therapy or laser, aim for pain relief. 16 – 23 However, the use of some of these techniques prior to racing has also been restricted due to their short- or long-term consequences. Acupuncture has
History A 9-year-old Warmblood cross mare presented for evaluation of a linear metallic foreign body found during a radiographic examination of the left forelimb by the referring veterinarian. The mare had an acupuncture treatment with
remedy, it is not surprising that treatment is also unsuccessful. 7 Although moving horses with acute anhidrosis to cooler and drier climates is an option for management of this condition, this option is often not feasible. Acupuncture combined with
, acupuncture treatment was initiated by a Licensed Acupuncturist (CAM) and was continued weekly for a total of six 15- to 20-minute treatments. Acupuncture channels with fascial connections to the lateral head and jaw were activated using sterile 40-gauge
35 of the 64 (55%) studies. Considering the limitations of conventional treatments for HD in dogs, it is important to search for new alternatives. 7,17 Acupuncture is a nonpharmacological treatment option 17 for numerous conditions, including
fields in recent years. 11,12 Of the complementary and alternative medical treatment options currently available, acupuncture is one of the most common. Acupuncture activates endogenous opioid mechanisms in the brain that then alter nociceptive
Abstract
Objective—To determine cutaneous analgesia, hemodynamic and respiratory effects, and β-endorphin concentration in spinal fluid and plasma of horses after acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA).
Animals—8 healthy 10- to 20-year-old mares that weighed between 470 and 600 kg.
Procedure—Each horse received 2 hours of acupuncture and 2 hours of PAES at acupoints Bladder 18, 23, 25, and 28 on both sides of the vertebral column as well as sham needle placement (control treatment). Each treatment was administered in a random order. At least 7 days elapsed between treatments. Nociceptive cutaneous pain threshold was measured by use of skin twitch reflex latency (STRL) and avoidance to radiant heat (≤ 50°C) in the lumbar area. Skin temperature, cardiovascular and respiratory variables, and β-endorphin concentration in spinal fluid (CSF-EN) and plasma (plasma-EN) were measured.
Results—Acupuncture and EA significantly increased STRL and skin temperature. The CSF-EN was significantly increased from baseline values 30 to 120 minutes after onset of EA, but it did not change after acupuncture and control treatments. Heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, arterial blood pressure, Hct, total solids and bicarbonate concentrations, base excess, plasma-EN, and results of blood gas analyses were not significantly different from baseline values after acupuncture, EA, and control treatments.
Conclusion and Clinical Relevance—Administration of EA was more effective than acupuncture for activating the spinal cord to release β-endorphins into the CSF of horses. Acupuncture and PAES provided cutaneous analgesia in horses without adverse cardiovascular and respiratory effects. (Am J Vet Res 2002;63:1435–1442)
Abstract
Objective—To determine whether administration of a microdose of prostaglandin at the BAI HUI acupuncture point offers any advantage over IM injections for luteolysis, ovulatory interval, or systemic response in mares.
Animals—17 mature cycling mares, 3 to 20 years of age and weighing 400 to 500 kg.
Procedure—Conventional and microdoses of the prostaglandin dinoprost tromethamine (PGF2α), the analogue cloprostenol, or sterile water (control) were administered to mares in 7 treatment groups. Treatments were assigned by dose, administration site (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, or lumbosacral region), and treatment type (PGF2α, analogue, or sterile water). Mares were observed for ovulatory interval and systemic response to treatment, including heart, and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, and sweat score. Plasma progesterone concentrations were also determined at the time of treatment and at 24-hour intervals for 96 hours following treatment.
Results—Ovulatory interval was shortened and progesterone concentrations decreased in prostaglandintreated mares, compared with control mares, regardless of dose or treatment site. However, no differences in ovulatory interval were observed among prostaglandin-treated mares. Mares treated with conventional doses of PGF2α had greater systemic responses than mares treated with microdoses of PGF2α or sterile water.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Administration of prostaglandins at the BAI HUI acupuncture point does not appear to offer any advantage over administration at standard IM injection sites for induction of luteolysis or to shorten the ovulatory interval. However, administration of a microdose of the analogue cloprostenol was effective at inducing luteolysis and shortening ovulatory interval regardless of administration site. (Am J Vet Res 2001;62:1285–1289)
Abstract
Objective—To compare the effects of acupuncture (AP), electroacupuncture (EA), and transcutaneous cranial electrical stimulation (TCES) with high-frequency intermittent currents on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane and associated cardiovascular variables in dogs.
Animals—8 healthy adult female Beagles.
Procedure—Each dog was anesthetized with isoflurane on 4 occasions, allowing a minimum of 10 days between experiments. Isoflurane MAC values were determined for each dog without treatment (controls) and after treatment with AP and EA (AP points included the Large Intestine 4, Lung 7, Governing Vessel 20, Governing Vessel 14, San Tai, and Baihui) and TCES. Isoflurane MAC values were determined by use of noxious electrical buccal stimulation. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measured by use of pulse oximetry, esophageal body temperature, inspired and expired end-tidal isoflurane concentrations, end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration, and bispectral index (BIS) were monitored. Blood samples were collected for determination of plasma cortisol concentration.
Results—Mean ± SD baseline MAC of isoflurane was 1.19 ± 0.1%. Acupuncture did not significantly change MAC of isoflurane. Treatments with EA and TCES significantly lowered the MAC of isoflurane by 10.1% and 13.4%, respectively. The SpO2, heart rate, MAP, BIS, esophageal body temperature, and plasma cortisol concentration were not significantly different after AP, EA, TCES, and control treatments at any time interval.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Use of EA and TCES decreased MAC of isoflurane in dogs without inducing adverse hemodynamic effects. However, the reduction in isoflurane MAC by EA and TCES treatments was not considered clinically relevant. (Am J Vet Res 2005;66:1364–1370)
