If the thought of your pet sitting calmly while several tiny needles are inserted into various points on his body makes you scoff, think again. Veterinary acupuncture is an increasingly common treatment for a variety of canine and feline ailments, from chronic pain and inflammation to metabolic conditions like kidney disease.

In Western medicine, pain is defined as a complex phenomenon that includes both the sensation and the subsequent behaviors that occur as a response. In Eastern medicine, pain is the manifestation of stagnant Qi or blood. Essentially, it is energy that is caught in one area creating pain and loss of function. Longstanding stagnant energy eventually leads to permanent structural changes, such as arthritis.

In Western medicine, pain is defined as a complex phenomenon that includes both the sensation and the subsequent behaviors that occur as a response. In Eastern medicine, pain is the manifestation of stagnant Qi or blood. Essentially, it is energy that is caught in one area creating pain and loss of function. Longstanding stagnant energy eventually leads to permanent structural changes, such as arthritis.