Electroacupuncture

[kayla1]

Coco went in for his acupuncture session today and ended up having electroacupuncture. I hadn't heard of it before today. The vet said it stimulates the nerves and so can help with nerve damage and hind leg weakness (Coco has some loss of function in his hind legs due to spinal issues).

Has anyone else used it? Any success?

[Tara8430]

Never heard of it but would also be interested to find out more....

[dancinbcs]

I have had it done on me but have only had the normal acupuncture done on the dogs. It does hurt a bit so wimpy dogs wouldn't cope but it does seem to work better in some circumstances.

[poppop]

This sounds like what I know as Trigger Point Therapy - like acupuncture but not with needles, instead it's a wand with a ball-bearing type thing on the end which is used to stimulate trigger points which are sore.

So, assuming it is the same, my experience of it has been excellent. One of my dogs used to get random limps as a pup and she had a couple of trigger pt therapy appts and they are marvellous. Sorted it out til the next time. She recently had a limp again (age 3) and we went back and again - SUPER results, back to normal within two days. I would highly recommend it for unexplained limps.

[dancinbcs]

The one I was talking about is where they attach electrodes to the acupuncture needles that are placed as normal but they have an electric impulse sent through them like that of a TENS machine.

[kayla1]

Yes, the one I meant was using electrodes attached to the acupuncture needles.

I guess trigger point therapy with the wand does a similar thing, uses electrical impulses to stimulate the nerves?

[Stitch]

I have had both types of accupunture myself but have not needed accupuncture for my dogs.

I can only say for me that the needle accupuncture was much more effective and deeper penetrating than the electro type.

Don't know if it works the same way with dogs.

[temperamentfirst]

My dogs have acupuncture and depending on the treatment the electrodes are sometimes attached. My dog walks in stiffly and slowly. She almost prances out!

I had acupuncture at Raffles Hospital in Singapore - they have a Traditional Chinese Medicine centre - and they use the needles with the electrodes attached in some places and just needles in others. All I know is that I went there with my back so bad that I kept getting 'stuck' if I moved even slightly the wrong way. One treatment and I was improved, three more treatments and the pain was gone!

I asked about the electrodes at Raffles. THe doctor told me that prior to using electrodes the practitioner would have sat there twiddling the needles to get the same effect!