Acupuncture is becoming a more commonly accepted modality of treatment for physical problems of animals. Acupuncture is an ancient system, used mainly to treat chronic and painful conditions such as arthritis, headaches, and migraines in people. In animals, it is used mainly for pain control, arthritis, musculoskeletal problems, and nerve damage or irritation. Its effectiveness has enabled acupuncture to survive for thousands of years against enormous odds. It was banned by law in China at the beginning of this century but continued to be practiced as folk medicine. Acupuncture has a long history dating back approximately 5000 years. The “Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine” was written about 2700 B.C. and is the one of the oldest references regarding the use of acupuncture. Acupuncture originated in ancient China and is perhaps the oldest medical system in the world. Today nearly one-third of the world's population uses it as their primary health care system.
Acupuncture has been used in animals for thousands of years also. The origins go back to ancient Chinese times and are recorded in Chinese history. There are published references of the use of acupuncture in the treatment of elephants in India over 5000 years ago.
Acupuncture deals with finding an imbalance or disharmony of energy (Chi or Qi , pronounced chee ) flow on the meridians or acupuncture points and then trying to correct this imbalance to allow the body to heal itself. Qi moves in an orderly, cyclic, predetermined pattern, following the meridians. The Chinese believed that in addition to being in balance, the Qi, energy, or life force had to be able to circulate freely along or in the meridians. If a break occurred anywhere in this circulation, illness or injury would result.
