1992 Mar;4(1):88-97.
Acupuncture for musculoskeletal disorders
- PMID: 1581663
Abstract
There are numerous medical and surgical approaches to canine and feline musculoskeletal disorders. Acupuncture was found to be beneficial in cases in which analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications have been ineffective or have demonstrated side effects, and in cases in which surgery was not recommended. It appears that acupuncture not only provides long-term analgesia but also increases circulation to the affected areas and decreases inflammation. Techniques and selection of appropriate acupuncture points depend on the condition treated.
Acupuncture for gastrointestinal disorders
- PMID: 1581652
Abstract
Acupuncture is best known for its application to various musculoskeletal pain-producing diseases. Acupuncture is, however, used for a large variety of internal medical diseases in humans and other animals. This chapter reviews some of the published literature on the use of acupuncture in gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, describes acupuncture points useful for a variety of GI diseases, briefly reviews how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treats GI disease, and gives some case examples of how acupuncture can be used in GI diseases.
Use of acupuncture as adjuvant analgesic technique in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy
Highlights
- •
-
Acupuncture decreased opioid consumption in dogs undergoing spinal surgery.
- •
-
Acupuncture improved analgesia after hemilaminectomy in dogs.
- •
-
Acupuncture was not associated with side effects.
- •
-
Acupuncture did not increase the anaesthetic time.
- •
-
Combining behavioural scales and mechanical thresholds was useful to assess pain.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic efficacy of a preoperative acupuncture treatment in 24 client-owned dogs undergoing thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy. Dogs were randomly assigned to either group A (Acupuncture) or group C (Control). Before skin incision, group A was treated with acupuncture, performed under general anaesthesia for 30 min. Rescue intraoperative fentanyl was administered following a 20% increase in cardiovascular parameters compared to baseline values, measured before incision. An observer masked to the treatment assessed pain, pre- and postoperatively, with the Glasgow (GCPS), the Colorado (CPS) pain scales and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); additionally, the mechanical thresholds (MT) were measured with the Electronic von Frey Anaesthesiometer (EVF) at four points located near the herniated disc. The groups were compared with respect to intraoperative cardiovascular and respiratory variables, rescue fentanyl administered in total and at different surgical events (first incision [FI], drilling [DR], disc removal [RE] and skin suturing [ST]), and pre- and postoperative pain scores and MT.
Group A received less fentanyl than group C (P = 0.014); this difference was significant at FI P = 0.035) and RE (P = 0.004). The improvement in postoperative CPS score (P = 0.013), VAS score (P = 0.003) and MT (P = 0.001) compared to preoperative values was greater for group A than for group C, whereas the treatment assignment had no effect on postoperative changes in GCPS compared to baseline. Pre-operative acupuncture may help improving perioperative analgesia in dogs with intervertebral disc herniation undergoing thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy.
