Acupuncture utilizes the body's energy to heal itself. Professional practitoners place very thin sterile needles into acupuncture points that pierce the skin and connect with a flow of energy meridiens called Qi (also known as chi). The energy is directed towards an internal organ system to strengthen it, or through muscle circulation to relieve pain. Various studies have demonstrated the existence of the biomeridian system that transports this mysterious energy through various nodes in the body.
Acupressure uses finger pressure at various acupoints on the body's surface to yield similar effects. Professionals train for years to master this scientific art.
However, pet owners can provide similar effectiveness by tapping into the emotional bond you share with your dog which will intuitively lead you to the right massage and pressure points. Your intention to help your animal coupled with your animal’s receptivity to your touch yields the most rewarding and surprising results. So don’t hesitate to try it.
Just as importantly, pet owners can provide daily acupressure and massage to their pets as opposed to an acupressure professional who will only be able to do it on a weekly or periodic basis.
When you provide acupressure to your dog, relax first, breathe easily and take a moment to clear your mind. Most people use their index finger. Don’t bend it, but use a straight-fingered approach. Apply steady, even pressure, not too hard or too soft. Let the animal tell you how much pressure is necessary. Press or hold a point for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, and then move to the next point.
Massage in general will relax your pet, relieve muscle tension, open the flow of energy and circulation. There are numerous massage techniques, such as long strokes, small circular motions, or sweeps using the palms of your hand. Experiment with what your pet likes. After all, part of the human-animal bond involves petting. We love doing it, and they love getting it.
Background
Acupuncture is one of the most ancient methods of healing currently in practice.
The Nie Ching or Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine is the earliest known text on acupuncture and is believed to have been written around 2500 B.C.
During the seventeenth century, Jesuit missionairies on visits to China brought back impressive and unbelievable accounts of Chinese physicians that were curing illnesses by inserting needles into patients skin.
During the 1930s, acupuncture was used by Mao Tse Tung's physicians to maintain the health of its armies and prevented soldiers from contracting major illnesses even in unhygienic and potentially harmful living conditions.
Acupuncture found interest in the U.S. in the 1970s when President Nixon visited China. A journalist accompanied Nixon that brought back stories of surgery performed under acupuncture anesthesia. Once the skepticism from the general medical community subsided, acupuncture began to establish its place as an acceptable form of alternative treatment.
Acupuncture has grown in stature as a result of research that proved acupuncture analgesia triggered release of endorphins in the central nervous system, providing the first conclusive proof of acupuncture's link to known pathways of pain in the brain and spinal cord.
The philosophy that underlies acupuncture is an extension of the Chinese viewpoint to the universe around us. The Chinese see human beings as a microcosm of the universe. The principles of energy flow that guide the universe are the same flows that guide the inner workings of humans.
The primary concept of energy flow is ch'i or qi, which is considered an energy force that flows from the external environment into the body. Chi is a nutritive subtle energy that provides nutritive energy to the body. The Hindu equivalent is prana, and anecdotal stories exist of yogis that were able to sustain themselves on sunlight and light energy for weeks and months. The Chinese view ties in with the Egyptian views on Sun worship.
The Chinese believe that Chi is absorbed into the human body, as do the Hindus, Egyptians, through exposure via the skin. Acupuncture points are points within an intricate meridian system that tie in with the points where Chi is absorbed into the body. Through 12 pairs of meridians, the Chi flows to the body organs and provides a life giving energy to the organs. Each meridian is associated with a different organ system and function.
Another key concept is energy polarity, or yin and yang. Yin and Yang represent the duality of nature, in a similar way that the wave-particle duality is recognized in Physics.
The Nei Ching states that the universe is an oscillation of the forces of yin and yang. Yang is viewed as the male active principle, associated with generation, sun, light and creation. Yin is the female element, passive, destructive, associated instead with the moon, darkness and death.
Both yin and yang are necessary to reach a balanced steady state. With life there is also death. Death is necessary in order for rebirth and the cycle to continue.
Yin and Yang also provide a different perspective of the negative and positive states of human consciousness. Another interesting demonstration of this principle is in the right and left cerbral hemispheres. The left brain is the seat of logical thinking, analytical, mathematical, linear. The right brain is the seat of creativity, artistic, esthetic, spatial, emotional. Both sides are necessary to obtain a balanced holistic view of the universe.
The Chinese philosophy sees a healthy life as one which contains an even balance of the forces of yin and yang. Maintaining a perfect balance between yin and yang is felt by the Chinese to result in perfect health of mind, body and spirit.
An imbalance in the yin and yang leads to imbalances in the energetic balance and usually eventually manifests in the form of physical illness. The Chinese believe that perfect flow of energies through the meridians is a precondition to perfect health.
Disease can occur at many levels, the etheric, the astral, or physical planes. The method of communication or transfer from the higher levels to the physical is believed by the Chinese to occur through the meridians.
Next: Acupuncture for Dog Allergies
