Electroacupuncture Treatment for Your Dog's Pain

Dog owners who use a naturopath or homeopathic veterinarian for their animal care may be familiar with electroacupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been practiced for millennia. As part of a healing process for internal diseases as well as external pain, acupuncture sends energy to pain sources to stimulate healing and provide pain relief. It is used widely but not as often in western cultures. If you have a dog who has been diagnosed with a disease or an illness or is in chronic pain, you may want to talk to your homeopathic veterinarian about electroacupuncture to see if it is right for your dog and their condition.

What is Electroacupuncture Treatment?

Acupuncture is the use of tiny needles to stimulate a healing process and provide pain relief. Electroacupuncture also sends electric currents to those wounded or ill areas to stimulate the nerve endings deep inside the tissue below acupressure points. As with regular acupuncture, needles are placed along meridians in the areas of concern on your dog. However, with electroacupuncture, the acupuncturist will hook up wires to the metal on some of the needles to send an electric frequency to the wound disease or illness site.

What Does Electroacupuncture Treat?

Rather than treating specific diseases as acupuncture does, electroacupuncture has been shown to work well for chronic pain relief. Dogs who have chronic pain or severe pain from arthritis tend to show an improved range of motion and relief of pain after electroacupuncture treatments. Electroacupuncture increases stimulation through electrical frequencies to particular areas within your dog's body. Studies have shown electroacupuncture can also be beneficial for treating paralysis in dogs. Though it may not cure a paralyzed dog, it could potentially help with feeling, as well as with stimulating muscles.

Is My Dog a Candidate for Electroacupuncture?

Search your local area for a holistic naturopath or homeopathic veterinarian. If you live in an area where those services are few and far between, you may search for an acupuncturist who can also work on pets. These folks are trained in acupuncture and should also be trained in electroacupuncture as well as other types of holistic care. Dogs who are experiencing physical pain and lameness are excellent candidates for electroacupuncture. If your dog is losing mobility, electroacupuncture could stimulate the nerves, helping them to become more mobile. If your dog is experiencing inflammation or swollen areas from tight and tense muscles, electroacupuncture may ease the discomfort as well as eliminate inflammation.

Regular acupuncture along with electroacupuncture can provide relief for your dog. No matter the illness or disease your dog suffers from, they may recover, begin to heal, and do well with electroacupuncture treatment. Electroacupuncture works well for dogs who have been injured and dogs who suffer from neuromuscular disorders, arthritis fractures, or some form of paralysis. If you think your dog may be a candidate, or if your dog has suffered from any of these conditions, talk to your veterinarian about electroacupuncture. If it is not something your veterinarian offers in the office, they may be able to refer you to an acupuncturist who can help your dog feel better and live a life with better mobility.