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ABSTRACT
Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Master Program of the Chi Institute in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF LASER ACUPUNCTURE ON THE HEART RATE OF ACUTE-STRESSED HORSES By WENDY YING, DVM, TCVMP, CCRT AUG 2016 Committee Members Sam Wu, PhD Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD Aituan Ma, MS, PhD Anxiety in horses affects performance, health and value of sport horses and the reputation of trainers and competitors. Current treatments include behavior modification with pharmaceuticals, acupuncture, herbal supplements, mineral supplements and food therapy. We propose laser acupuncture, given before stressful situations can decrease anxiety and improve performance and health in horses. A 2 day cross over study was performed on 24 horses who were either assigned to the treatment or control group on Day 1. Treatment horses were given laser acupuncture to reduce anxiety. Control horses were given sham treatment with the laser in the off position. All horses were fitted with a heart rate monitor and then exposed to an acute startle test (AST). Heart rate was monitored 1 minute pre and 10 minutes post AST. Peak HR and return to Baseline HR was noted. All horses were allowed a wash out period of 7 days and then assigned to the other group and results from both days were compared. 22 geldings and 2 mares ranging in age from 6 yrs to 29 yr were used. Breeds included Arabians, Quarter Horses, Warmbloods, Tennessee Walking Horses and grade horses. Disciplines included Jumpers, Hunters, Dressage, Driving, Fox hunting and Trail. Our data shows in some cases, laser acupuncture did reduce peak heart rate and decreased the time to return to baseline. Further research needs to be done with a larger group of subjects. Modifying the acute startle test depending on the level of anxiety of the breed/discipline may give more meaningful results. Quarter Horses, trail and driving horses showed a very low level of startle (ie lower peak heart rate) compared to dressage horses and jumpers probably due to their exposure to loud noises in their daily activity. This model may be used to test the effectiveness of other kinds of acupuncture treatments, herbal therapies, pharmaceuticals and supplements claiming to be effective in controlling anxiety in horses and other animals.
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 Food Therapy is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. It is a practice of healing using natural foods along with, or instead of, pharmaceuticals. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang-di-ni-jing) was written around 300 BC, around the same period of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, who said, “Let food be thy, medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine classified food by Yin and Yang energies, five tastes, and by their natures and characteristics. For example, Yang foods are believed to warm the body’s Yang, tonify Qi, dispel Cold, move Qi and Blood, resolve Stagnation, and stop pain. Yin foods nourish the body’s Yin, cool Blood, clear Heat, and detoxify. Therefore, Yang foods (e.g., mutton and pumpkin) are used for conditions associated with Cold and weakness - Qi/Yang Deficiency, Qi-Blood stagnation, Wei syndrome (weakness), Lin syndrome (incontinence), and immunodeficiency. Yin Foods (such as turkey and tofu) are used for conditions associated with Heat and inflammation - Yin Deficiency, skin itching, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's disease. The practitioner uses selected food ingredients to:
Plus, it's fun to cook for your animals! Subscribe to Dr. Ying's blog for more info on food therapy and some simple ideas to start incorporating home-cooked food into your animal's diet. Whole, fresh foods should be a big part of your animal's diet. Processed foods and vitamin isolates lack the phytonutrients, enzymes and building blocks of whole foods. The first step to good nutrition is a variety of quality whole foods. When clients start home cooking for their dogs and cats, I recommend feeding a basic supplement like Platinum Performance for support as a good adjunct to your home cooking. Here is the link to Platinum Performance, use code YIN when checking out.  Herbal Medicine is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. In China, TCVM treatment consists of 30% acupuncture and 70% Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicine has a rich history extending over several thousand years and has proven to be an effective treatment modality.
Many formulas we use in practice today were developed many thousands of years ago. Some were developed for both animals and people, while others were developed specifically for animals. Formulas are used more commonly than individual herb, so the actions of the herbs are balanced, and the actions of one herb, say a warming herb, are not as damaging to the body because it is counteracted by a cooling herb. This balance can also be accomplished with diet ( see the Food Therapy page) All our herbal formulas come from Jing Tang Herbal in Ocala, Florida. Jing Tang products are made from high-grade herbs cultivated in pollution-free areas, screened and tested multiple times for purity and safety. There are no illegal or environmentally controversial substances in our herbal products, ie, no ephedra or rhino horn.  Laser is an acronym for :
 What is equine and canine rehab ? No, it is not a support group for animal hoarders. It is physical therapy for our animals. Physical rehabilitation's main goals are to reduce pain and bring the body back to its normal function. That is why Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care work so well together. Acupuncture restores the pain and brings the body back into balance and chiropractic mobilizes the joints and restores the body's normal functions. We can also use manual therapies like tui na (meridian massage), passive and active range of motion and exercise. We teach many of these exercises to the caretaker so you can become a partner in your pet's recovery.
Whether the injury is acute, like an accident or post op, or chronic like arthritis or compensation from an old injury or poor conformation, a solid rehabilitation plan is the fastest way back to normal function and performance. We all know that a weak core leads to lumbar pain, that is why Dr. Kyle sends his human patients home with core stabilization exercises and yoga moves. We design exercise programs for dogs and horses to help them develop these muscles too. For horses, the exercises can be done under saddle or in hand. For dogs, we do positional exercises and even use tiny cavalettis for strength and paw awareness. One big difference in core strengthening in animals is...they get to eat treats during exercise ! Think about that next time you are doing crunches. People ask me, does my animal need rehab ? Well in a way yes, all animals need a baseline amount of exercise and a healthy diet, just like people to stay healthy well into their golden years. Many diseases are caused by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, tendon injuries because they lack the muscle to protect themselves in a stumble, even general stiffness or a poor gait. Did your older horse go from an 8 mover to a 6 ? Does your old lab not want to jump in the truck anymore ? Maybe its not just that he is old. Maybe he needs some help to keep his joints moving and muscles firing so you can keep enjoying the company of your best pal.  Most athletes , including animal athletes, are constantly dealing with bio-mechanical stressors to our spine, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. In some cases this may increase our susceptibility to injury. Chiropractic care and Acupuncture may help to dramatically improve performance, improve health and decrease the likelihood for injury.
Based on hundreds of years of combined existence, Chiropractic Care and Acupuncture are still maintained as two of the largest drug-less and non-surgical healing professions in the world!! Chiropractic and Acupuncture’s holistic approach to health and wellness is centered around the body's ability to self restore and heal. The practice of Chiropractic and Acupuncture focuses on the relationship between the structure and the function of the body and how that relationship affects health.  Archeologists determined that Neolithic man, 8000 years ago used a primitive type of acupuncture tool called the bian-shi. It is a pyramidal shaped stone used to lance boils and stimulate certain points on the body to relieve pain. Later a sharp piece of bone was used for the same purpose and during the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC to 1100 BC), the metal acupuncture needle was invented. As they tracked their clinical results, they discovered acupoints with similar functions formed a line on the body and the sensation of the de - Qi would follow a certain pathway...a meridian or Jing-Luo.
There are 12 paired regular channels that relate to the organs and 8 extraordinary channels, 2 of which follow the midline. The Governing vessel on the dorsal midline and Conception vessel on the ventral midline. There are also collateral and divergent channels that are smaller branches of the major meridians that link the organs and meridians to one and other to form an intricately connected pathway throughout the body. I use 3 kinds of acupuncture in my practice : dry needle, electro and aqua acupuncture. Dry needle is simple insertion of small acupuncture needles. During electro acupuncture, the needles are connected to a battery powered stimulator to deliver a painless low voltage current to the meridian. For Aqua acupuncture, I inject a small volume of vit b 12 or glucosamine into the point. This causes a small blister and gives continual stimulation over a few days. |
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