Acupuncture

At South Shore Equine Clinic, we offer equine acupuncture and herbal medicine as part of a well-rounded approach to veterinary care. These therapies can complement traditional treatments and provide additional options for managing pain, supporting recovery, and improving overall wellness.

Acupuncture involves the placement of very fine needles at specific points on the body to stimulate the nervous system, improve circulation, and promote the body’s natural healing processes. Many horses find acupuncture relaxing, and it is commonly used to help manage conditions such as back pain, muscle soreness, lameness, arthritis, neurologic issues, and performance-related concerns.

Herbal medicine can be used alongside acupuncture or as a standalone therapy, depending on the horse’s needs. Carefully selected herbal formulations may support a variety of conditions, including digestive health, respiratory issues, metabolic concerns, and chronic inflammation. These treatments are tailored to the individual horse and are prescribed with a strong focus on safety and effectiveness.

Our goal is to integrate these therapies thoughtfully with conventional veterinary medicine, creating a balanced treatment plan that supports both short-term recovery and long-term health.

If you are interested in learning whether acupuncture or herbal medicine may be appropriate for your horse, our team is happy to discuss your options and develop a plan that fits your horse’s needs.

Acupuncture is an exceptional way to relieve your horse of many problems and maintain overall well being. Does your horse suffer from any of the following:

• allergies
• lameness
• behavioral issues
• chronic eye problems
• chronic respiratory problems
• sensitivity medications

In addition to pain management, acupuncture can be used to induce the following physiologic effects to aid in management of various conditions:

• Regulate gastro-intestinal motility (colic, diarrhea, impaction)
• Anti-inflammatory effect
• Regulate the immune system (boost immunity, autoimmune diseases, anemia)
• Regulate hormones and reproductive cycles
• Promote microcirculation
• Control fever

ACUPUNCTURE TO MANAGE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

• Musculoskeletal conditions: cervical stiffness/neck pain, back pain, muscle soreness, degenerative joint disease (DJD), joint inflammation secondary to trauma or other acute condition, osteoarthritis
• Neurological disorders: seizures, laryngeal hemiplegia, EPM, wobblers syndrome, facial and radial nerve paralysis, suprascapular nerve damage (“Sweeney”)
• Gastrointestinal disorders: colic pain, acute or chronic diarrhea, gastric ulceration, impaction, gas cramping
• Respiratory conditions: cough, phlegm, allergies, inflammatory airway disease (IAD/RAO), COPD (heaves), acute respiratory conditions that cause cough and/or fever,
• Reproductive conditions: Ovulation induction, endometrial fluid accumulation, infertility, “mare-ish” syndromes
• Ophthalmic conditions: Acute or chronic corneal ulceration, conjunctivitis, acute or chronic uveitis, glaucoma.
• Metabolic problems: Cushing’s disease, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism
• Behavior issues
• Anhidrosis: “non sweating”
• Geriatric weakness: improves overall strength and general well being!
• Renal failure
• Skin problems: Hives, dermatitis, non healing wounds
• Performance enhancement: management of minor injuries associated with training or showing, muscle soreness, mild tendinitis, foot pain, etc.
• General well being and prevention of disease

ACUPUNCTURE IS SAFE

Acupuncture is a very safe medical procedure when performed by a qualified practitioner. 95% of patients are very comfortable with acupuncture therapy and do not require sedation. The goal is to make it a good experience for you and your horse. Each session includes a diagnostic “scan”, a pattern diagnosis (bian zheng) and a treatment lasting from 20-60 minutes. The “scan” involves evaluating your horse’s sensitivity to palpation of certain acupuncture points to identify subtle issues or potential problems. Sensitivity to a particular point or set of points is consistently correlated to specific underlying imbalances, musculoskeletal or medical issues.

The nature, duration and severity of the condition will determine which technique is employed and how many treatments are needed to clear the stagnation or pathogen and restore balance and function to the body. A single treatment may be enough to treat an acute or mild condition. Commonly, a minimum of 3 treatments (up to 10) are recommended to clear longer standing problems. The frequency of treatments is established at the first visit. Initial treatments may be as close as a couple of days to a couple of weeks apart, with longer intervals between subsequent treatments. Often maintenance treatments may be as few as 2-4 times yearly.