at a glance

64
Different Modalities of Acupuncture
horse to treat a problem or injury. Some acupuncturists
prefer to use different modalities for certain cases, and some
horses tolerate different modalities better. For example, some
horses are very needle shy, especially in areas around their
head. Laser acupuncture may be more suitable for these
horses so they do not hurt themselves or the handlers during
the therapy. The drawback is that only stimulate one point
can be stimulated at a time and treatment takes longer. As
mentioned in Chapter 4,there is certainly more than one way
to treat a horse in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Also, if a
certain method is not effective,another method may be tried.
DRY NEEDLING
The most common technique associated with acupuncture,
dry needling is usually what most acupuncture practitioners
use to treat horses. This is also referred to as “white
needling”because no blood is involved.
The needles are solid and have a stainless steel shaft and a
copper or plastic
handle. The needles
are extremely fine
and are difficult to
insert without a
thicker handle. Some
needles have a sleeve
or insertion tube that
allows the user to
tap them through
the skin more easily.
Dry needling is the most common technique.
The needles are
sterile,and practitioners should not reuse them. The needles
are made in varying lengths and gauges, or diameters, for use
in different locations of the body. For example, acupuncture
needles are long and reach areas not typically accessible by
other therapies. This allows for stimulation of more tissues
and a more dramatic effect as compared to acupressure or