Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Combined acupuncture and manual therapy improves comfort in lame dogs
By Lane, David M & Hill, Sarah A·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2016·Department of Military Psychology & Leadership, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effectiveness of combined acupuncture and manual therapy relative to no treatment for canine musculoskeletal pain.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 47 dogs with limping due to musculoskeletal pain received either acupuncture and manual therapy or no treatment at all. Owners reported noticeable improvements in their dogs' comfort and mobility after the treatments, including better play behavior, walking, trotting, jumping, and even getting up from lying down. Many dogs showed less stiffness after resting or exercising. Overall, the combination of acupuncture and manual therapy helped these dogs feel better and move more easily.
People also search for: dog limping treatment · acupuncture for dog pain · manual therapy for dogs
Abstract
Despite the rise in popularity of both acupuncture and manual therapy in veterinary medicine, and the increasing number of Canadian veterinarians practising these techniques, there is little research demonstrating their effectiveness. In this repeated measures, therapeutic trial, 47 client-owned dogs with naturally occurring lameness were assessed for clinical response to treatment. Owners were blinded to the treatment schedule and completed questionnaires to assess their dogs' comfort and mobility. Comparison between pre- and post-treatment results demonstrated that combined acupuncture and manual therapy provides immediate short-term improvement in comfort and mobility, as demonstrated by owner observed changes in play behavior (P = 0.015), walking (P < 0.001), trotting (P = 0.002), jumping (P < 0.001), descending stairs (P = 0.003), rising from a lying position (P < 0.001), and reduced stiffness after rest (P < 0.001) or following exercise (P < 0.001). Mood and attitude also improved, but did not attain statistical significance.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27041759/