Past students of the Animal Acupuncture Academy have included animal lovers from all walks of life, but one group that is strongly represented year-on-year is that of animal manual therapists (including animal physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, bodyworkers, massage therapists, and rehabilitation practitioners).

Many animal manual therapists can get frustrated by the limitations of mainly treating musculoskeletal disorders, but using animal acupuncture can open the way towards treating many more disorders, including general and internal medicine diseases.

Acupuncture and manual therapies have come hand-in-hand for thousands of years, with human acupuncture practitioners often using massage techniques (such as Tui Na, Chinese Remedial Massage) and cupping to remove blockages in the circulation of Chi. As such, manual treatments can make acupuncture treatments more effective – and vice versa, acupuncture can support and enhance the effects of manual treatments. 

In this article, we consider how animal manual therapies in their many forms form a perfect marriage with the art of Animal Acupuncture, and how including Animal Acupuncture can bolster the therapeutic toolkit of any animal manual therapist.

This article outlines how:

• Manual therapies and Animal Acupuncture operate from a similar philosophical foundation
• How skills in Manual Therapies & Assessments can give Animal Acupuncture Practitioners a great headstart in making effective Chinese Medical Diagnoses
• How Manual Therapies and Animal Acupuncture can be used together during a treatment

Holistic Approaches to Health

Manual therapies and Animal Acupuncture can work wonderfully together because they tend to stem from the same philosophical bases. In fact, modern science is revealing that many Traditional Chinese meridian channels often correspond to fascial lines, nerve structures, as well as embryonic developmental planes – linking the effects of these modalities on a physical level.

Most forms of animal manual therapies focus on a holistic approach to health, considering somatic structures, visceral structures, and the body-mind. Similarly, Animal Acupuncture considers the organism as a whole (as well as its relationships with the environment) to formulate diagnoses and treatment plans for a variety of ailments.

In Chinese Medicine, the organism is conceptualised through different layers, with the assumption that treating specific layers or structures (such as the meridian channels) can lead to powerful changes in the internal functions of the body. A fundamental assumption is that everything in the body is related – something that modern Western medicine is slowly starting to consider.

Most manual therapies also have a strong focus on restoring the self-healing potential (i.e. restoring homeostasis) of the body. Similarly, Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on the body’s intrinsic capacity to move towards (or away from) health and wellbeing. Disease is not considered separate from the patient, and the patient is not reduced to their disease(s). Disease is just a state the body happens to be in, and the Chinese practitioner is seen as a ‘facilitator’ or enabler of a return to health.

In summary:

• Manual therapies and Animal Acupuncture often work from a similar philosophical foundation: a focus on the body’s self-healing mechanisms; acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of the animal’s body-mind structures and the environment; and seeing the practitioner as a ‘facilitator’ of a return to health.
• Both manual therapies and Animal Acupuncture have a strong focus on maintaining positive health states and disease prevention – not just disease treatment.

Manual Therapies and Chinese Diagnosis

An aspect of Animal Acupuncture that is perhaps not well known by the public is the breadth and depth of Chinese Medical Examination (which can rival some of the more complex veterinary examinations!).

Animal Acupuncture practitioners spend a great deal of time and energy examining their patients by the tools of:

•   Looking (or Inspection/Observation)
•   Listening & Smelling (or Auscultation & Olfaction)
•   Asking (or Interrogation)
•   Feeling (or Palpation)

All these aspects of Chinese Medical Examination are covered in detail in the AAA’s Certificate in Animal Acupuncture.

Similarly, many animal manual therapists develop very fine observation and palpation skills - enabling them to identify very subtle blockages or restrictions in somatic structures. Such fine skills greatly enhance their capacity to conduct accurate and effective Chinese Medical Examinations.

In addition, most assessment techniques known by manual therapists can be integrated within a Chinese Medicine Examination, including:

• Gait analysis
• Posture, confirmation, and soft tissue assessments
• Range of Motion Assessments
• Neurological Assessments
• Functional Tests and Exercises
• And more.

This puts animal manual therapists in a great position to make comprehensive and accurate Chinese Medical Diagnoses – and to implement effective treatment plans for their patients.

Manual Therapies and Acupuncture in Practice

Within a treatment, a suitably qualified practitioner can combine manual techniques and Animal Acupuncture to great effect. From a Chinese perspective, massage and manual therapies work primarily to release Chi (energy) blockages, for example by removing fascial, muscular, or joint restrictions that may be influencing the flow of Chi in the body. 

Acupuncture and manual therapies can be used jointly for great effect for:

• Deep-seated musculoskeletal conditions that do not get better from manual treatment alone. This commonly includes muscle disorders (e.g. contractures), tendinopathies and tendonitis, severe arthritis, and neurological conditions such as paresis.
• Musculoskeletal patients that concurrently show internal/general medicine ailments. For example, a senior dog may present with severe arthritis, but also deafness, vestibular disease, seizures, loss of appetite, and/or chronic kidney disease – conditions that can all benefit from acupuncture treatment.
• Performance animals. Musculoskeletal treatments can be extremely beneficial for performance animals and so can acupuncture treatments – not only by working on musculoskeletal issues but by also increasing the ‘will to win’, motivation, and a feeling of ‘being at ease/confident in one’s own body’.

How to Use Manual Therapies during an Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture can be used before, during, or after manual treatment, as outlined below. Different manual techniques can be seen as more substantive/vigorous or more subtle. Especially with animals, who tend to respond faster to both manual treatments and acupuncture than humans, it will be important not to over-treat – hence some techniques may have to be spread out over multiple appointments to be better tolerated by the patients.

Acupuncture before manual treatment:

• Acupuncture before manual treatment can relax trigger points and articular structures, leading to more effective manipulations with fewer side effects.
• Acupuncture before manual treatment can provide analgesic and sedating effects, perfect for animals who may be anxious during manual treatment.

Manual treatment before acupuncture:

• Gentle massage and/or myofascial release can be extremely effective before an acupuncture treatment, both to mentally relax the patient and to improve needle insertion within relaxed muscles and fascia.
• Be careful not to exhaust the body’s capacity for adaptation during the manual treatment – focus on subtle techniques and use few vigorous techniques prior to acupuncture.

Manual treatment during acupuncture:

• Generally, it is not recommended to apply massage or manual therapies when needles are in place (about 20 min), so as not to affect the placement of needles or disturb the energy of the patient.
• An exception would be a gentle face massage or massage distal to needle placement (e.g. gentle myofascial release) to help the animal further relax.

In summary, manual therapies and acupuncture can offer great synergistic effects for animals, and animal manual therapists often make tremendous animal acupuncture practitioners. While this blog post explored the general intersection of manual therapies and acupuncture, future blog posts will explore how acupuncture and manual therapies can work together to help treat specific diseases.