Essentials ofWesternVeterinaryAcupuncture

S. Lindley

and

T.M. Cummings

Essentials of Western Veterinary Acupuncture

Essentials ofWesternVeterinaryAcupuncture

S. Lindley

and

T.M. Cummings

© 2006 S. Lindley & T.M. Cummings

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First published 2006 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd

ISBN-13: 978-14051-2990-9ISBN-10: 1-4051-2990-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lindley, S. (Samantha)Essentials of western veterinary acupuncture / S. Lindley and T.M.

Cummings.p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN-13: 978-1-4051-2990-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)ISBN-10: 1-4051-2990-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)1. Veterinary acupuncture. I. Cummings, T. M. (Thomas Michael),

1963–. II. Title.SF914.5L56 2006636.089¢5892–dc22

2005023986

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Dedications viiPreface ixAbout the authors xiIntroduction xiii

Part One 11 Modern veterinary acupuncture 3

2 An historical perspective 17

3 Acupuncture – what is it and how does it work? 33

4 Acupuncture – does it work? 45

Part Two 635 The use of acupuncture for acute and chronic pain 65

6 The use of acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain 79

7 Principles of point selection 103

8 Acupuncture for the treatment of visceral pain and dysfunction 111

9 Acupuncture for the treatment of non-painful conditions 129

Part Three 15110 Practical aspects of acupuncture in the veterinary species 153

11 Electroacupuncture and related techniques 177

Index 189

Contents

From Samantha Lindley

To my mother, my father and to Fergus.

From Mike Cummings

To my wife, Sally, and my children Jemima and Michael, who are right inthinking that I work too hard and therefore spend too little time with

them, and to my neighbour Leela who often feeds me when Sally is out.

Dedications

Sometimes it seems that in order to work in the field of veterinaryacupuncture one must have the capacity to embrace and enjoymystery. However, before the reader starts to edge nervously awayfrom this text, it is worth pointing out that just because something isa mystery does not mean that it must be mystical. Similarly, justbecause there are limits to our understanding of a given techniquethere is not necessarily a limit to its efficacy. Recognising our currentlimits to understanding how the central nervous system works isprobably all that is required to realise why we do not fully under-stand how acupuncture works. The central nervous system isamazing and complex enough without having to invent or look toexplain further mysteries to illuminate the effects of acupuncture. For-tunately, in the rapidly developing world of neuroscience and neu-rophysiology some of the new discoveries indicate more clearly how the insertion of a needle into the body may inhibit pain andattenuate the signs of disease.

The field of pain research is rapidly expanding in human and veterinary medicine and revelations in this area tend to enhance ourunderstanding of the use of acupuncture. It is both an exciting and afrustrating area in which to be involved; exciting because the outcomeof research is fascinating and revealing; frustrating because the com-plete picture often seems further away with increasing knowledge ofthe vast complexity of the nervous system.

The promotion of a Western approach to veterinary acupuncturecan also be frustrating because some of the veterinary profession arestill highly sceptical, if not cynical, about the use of acupuncture.There are several likely reasons for this. First, acupuncture has been

Preface

most often presented from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)approach. The vastly different language and diagnostic approach ofthis discipline sounds implausible to Western-trained minds and istherefore frequently dismissed as so much quackery. Second, there islimited evidence for efficacy of acupuncture in clinical conditions ofthe veterinary species. The reasons for this will become clear through-out this book. Third, whilst acupuncture continues to be regarded as ‘alternative’ to conventional treatment, there is likely to be aninherent resentment that orthodox thought and practice are beingchallenged.

However, it is not just the orthodox practitioners who may feel chal-lenged. Among veterinarians, TCM has a small but enthusiastic fol-lowing, part of which regards the Western approach as, at best,incomplete and, at worst, a misrepresentation of an ancient healingart. The Western veterinary or medical acupuncture practitioner maytherefore feel somewhat between the devil and the deep blue sea.

We hope that this book will address some of these misgivings andhelp to place veterinary acupuncture firmly within the realms oforthodox veterinary practice. If its further use can be encouraged and research into its efficacy performed, then acupuncture has thepotential to help alleviate suffering in more animals, which is, afterall, the aim.

Samantha Lindley and Mike Cummings, 2005

x � Preface

Samantha Lindley BVSc MRCVS

Samantha qualified from Bristol University Veterinary School in 1988and, after a year’s internship at Glasgow University VeterinarySchool, spent four years in mixed practice in Ayrshire. In 1993 shemoved to Surrey where for four years she was veterinary behaviouristat Dr Roger Mugford’s Animal Behaviour Centre. At this time,Samantha also ran a peripatetic acupuncture referral service in theHome Counties of England.

In 1997 Samantha moved back to Scotland and currently holds theposition of Honorary Fellow at the Royal (Dick) School of VeterinaryStudies, Edinburgh University, and Honorary Clinical Lecturer atGlasgow University Veterinary School. She runs behaviour clinics and acupuncture clinics at both veterinary schools and the Pain andRehabilitation Clinic at Glasgow Veterinary School. Samantha writesand lectures extensively to veterinary undergraduates, veterinarians,veterinary nurses and welfare organisations on the subject of behav-iour, acupuncture and pain management, clinically related behaviourproblems and the welfare of captive wild animals.

Samantha has also developed and teaches an acupuncture coursefor veterinarians with Dr Mike Cummings, Medical Director of theBritish Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS), and teaches acupunc-ture to medics at both basic and intermediate level on BMAS courses.

Samantha has acted as consultant to a variety of welfare organisa-tions including Zoocheck Canada, WSPA Canada, Care for the WildInternational, Animal Defenders, Born Free Foundation, Animal Aid,The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and TheDogs Trust. Samantha is the Honorary Veterinary Advisor to the

About the authors

Captive Animal Protection Society and currently holds the posi-tion of Newsletter Editor and PR officer for the Association of BritishVeterinary Acupuncturists (ABVA).

Publications in non-peer-reviewed journals include articles on companion animal behaviour, reptile behaviour, complementary therapies and general welfare. Peer-reviewed articles include those onbehaviour therapies, the results of work on the antiprolactin agentcabergoline, acupuncture, and reptile behaviour problems. Bookchapters include a scientifically critical appraisal on complementarytherapies for behaviour problems in the British Small Animal Veteri-nary Association Manual of Canine and Feline Behaviour (eds Heath,Horwitz and Mills, 2002); and two chapters in The Con in Conservation(ed. Dr Bill Jordan, 2001): ‘Captive breeding’ and ‘Understandinghuman responses to endangered species’.

Dr Mike Cummings

Mike is Medical Director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society(BMAS). This is a full-time job that involves running the BMASLondon Teaching Clinic (LTC), coordinating and lecturing on BMAScourses in Western medical acupuncture, acting as production editorfor the Medline-listed journal Acupuncture in Medicine, and repre-senting the BMAS at various academic and political meetings. He isan Honorary Clinical Specialist at the Royal London HomeopathicHospital.

His principal academic and clinical interest is musculoskeletal pain,and in particular, needling therapies in the treatment of myofascialpain syndromes. He has completed a systematic review in this area.

He has been a member of the international editorial board for FACT(Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies) since August1999. He is also a reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, Archives ofPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the British Medical Journal, theBritish Journal of Sports Medicine, the European Journal of Pain, Comple-mentary Therapies in Medicine and the Journal of Alternative and Com-plementary Medicine.

Contacts for the authors are through Samantha Lindley ats.lindley@dial.pipex.com c/o Glasgow University Veterinary School,Small Animal Hospital, Bearsden Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1QH.

xii � About the authors

WHAT THIS BOOK AIMS TO ACHIEVE

An understanding of Western veterinary acupuncture and the approach to treatment

There are already a number of texts aimed at the aspiring or practis-ing veterinary acupuncture practitioner; however these tend to takeeither a predominantly traditional or a prescriptive approach, or both.In other words the rationale behind the treatment and selection ofpoints described in these texts is based on the concepts of traditionalChinese medicine (TCM). This is a complex approach to both diag-nosis and treatment and would have little or no meaning to theWestern-trained veterinary surgeon. Some texts include formulae orprescriptions of points for given conditions: a sort of composite of thepoints likely to be chosen by a traditional practitioner. This satisfiesneither the traditionalist (because each patient is an individual and istreated as such, as well as on how they present at any given time) northe Western practitioner (because it means learning formulae orlooking them up and does not take into account the results of exa-mination and palpation of the patient), but has the merit of appear-ing both quick and easy.

This book aims to explain our current understanding of acupunc-ture from a neurophysiological perspective and therefore to help thepractitioner work out which points to use, based on this understand-ing and on examination of the patient. This means that treatments areindividualised, no formulae need be learned or looked up and the veterinarian can be satisfied that he or she is basing the treatment on the best available evidence.

Introduction

xiii