Whenever Qi becomes disrupted, imbalance occurs and disease may result.

The use of acupuncture has been shown to:

• Provide generalized oxygenation and increased blood flow to specific areas of treatment.
• Aid production of endogenous cortisone and other anti-inflammatory secretions.
• Release the internal production of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller.
• Stimulate immunity by increasing white blood cell count and antibody production.

Acupuncture can be the only method of choice, or it may be combined with other treatment modalities such as chiropractic, homeopathy, herbal or nutritional support. Acupuncture may also be combined with more conventional western treatment modalities to enhance the body's response to the treatment.

There is a limit to how much acupuncture will help an animal. It may be that the disease of trauma has progressed beyond the point where acupuncture can arrest of reverse the damage, and all it can do is provide supportive care and symptomatic relief. Acupuncture cannot re-grow nerves. It is not a cure-all.

There are several conditions where veterinary acupuncture may be appropriate as the primary or adjunctive (supportive) therapy, including:

• Gastrointestinal disorders- Gastritis, colitis, diarrhea, vomiting 
• Respiratory problems- Sinusitis, bronchial asthma, chronic cough, pneumonia
• Neurological disorders- Peripheral nerve damage, epilepsy, stroke, deafness, coma 
  
• Musculoskeletal disorders- Chronic degenerative joint disease, tendinitis, sprains
• Reproductive, Endocrine and Metabolic disorders- Ovarian cyst, mastitis, hepatitis, jaundice
• Immunosuppressive and Allergic Dermatological disorders- Allergic dermatitis
• Urinary disorders- Incontinence
• Emergencies- Cardiac or respiratory arrest

Before pursuing treatment with acupuncture, a physical examination complete with a full medical history, diagnostic laboratory tests, and radiographs (x-rays) is usually performed. There are some conditions for which a single acupuncture treatment is all that is required. In most instances, however, there are multiple acupuncture treatments spread over weeks or even months to reverse some chronic conditions. For more involved treatments with Dr. Brenda Reed, we ask that the client be willing to commit to a minimum of four acupuncture treatments in order to give a chance for the improvement to be seen. Typically, the acupuncture treatments are spread weekly, but occasionally they may be required two times weekly or every other week, depending upon the animal's condition. As the animal responds to the treatments, the length of time that the treatment remains effective is noted, and the treatment intervals may become longer, or even, no more treatments may be necessary. Chronic conditions may require treatment monthly or several times per year, once the initial response level has peaked, and maximum effect is to be maintained.

During the acupuncture treatment itself, most animals exhibit little or no pain or discomfort. Most of the patients will lie down during a treatment with their owners holding them and take a nap. A few animals, with a very high anxiety level or extreme fear reaction to being confined in a veterinary setting, require more coaxing to be still. It is only in extraordinary circumstances that we chemically restrain the animal. The treatment itself may last ten seconds to thirty minutes, the average treatment being ten minutes. However, the first appointment is an hour long to accommodate a lengthy history session and acupuncture examination. Follow-up appointments are generally for thirty minutes as they do not require the in-depth history.