Acupuncture

Within the services we offer, we have incorporated Acupuncture as it is successful as a complementary medicine in some of our patients. We routinely use it in dogs and cats, but it can be used in smaller animals too.

Translated, Acupuncture means “pricking with a needle” and the practice consists of inserting extremely thin and sterile needles through the skin of a patient for a short period of time. The aim is to raise awareness in the nervous system of the areas in the body that hurt, so that the brain can react by releasing natural pain relief to those areas, providing comfort and improving the quality of life of our patients. Other known benefits of acupuncture are stimulation of the blood circulation and boosting of the immune system.

The type of acupuncture we use is called 'Western Acupuncture’, where as well as choosing the traditional acupuncture points that are known to be associated with certain parts of the body, it aims to identify tender spots and areas in the muscles that can produce pain, called trigger points, and therefore alleviates discomfort by placing the needles in the areas where it hurts.

There are some conditions that benefit more and naturally, some patients that respond better to acupuncture than others. So for this reason, we always recommend to start with an initial assessment with the Vet, where they will go through the history of the problem, carry out a clinical examination and identify the source of pain so you can have a better idea of what is to be expected and establish a treatment plan tailored to your pet.

We most commonly use Acupuncture in cases such as:

• Arthritic pain
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Post-operative pain after surgery
• Abnormal postures developed as a result of pain
• Chronic pain
• Rehabilitation in some cases of nerve damage
• Wound healing

Acupuncture is safe, generally not painful and well tolerated due to the very small size of the needles and it is not uncommon that the patient becomes sleepy during the therapy session.

This therapy is currently offered at our Didcot branch by Arturo Chamorro. Feel free to give us a call if you would like to book an appointment.