Use of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in the Treatment of Pets & Livestock
TCVM stands for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and has four main components: acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy and Tui na (special massage and acupressure techniques). TCVM can be used as a sole therapy and in conjunction with conventional treatments to maintain and enhance health and improve quality of life. It is a system of medical practice with its roots in ancient China. In fact, the first documented acupuncture tool dates back to about 6000 BCE.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), although relatively new to the Western world, is a medical system that has been used in China to treat animals for thousands of years. It is an adaptation and extension of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat humans. Speaking broadly, Chinese Medicine is a complete body of thought and practice grounded in Chinese Daoist philosophy. Though it can be traced back over two millennia in recorded history, it, like any medical system, continues to evolve today, and current research on acupuncture and herbal medicine is beginning to shed light on its mechanism of action.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is popularly described as a broad range of medicine practices sharing common concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) appears to be a branch of the TCM as historical evidences show that the concepts and practices used in humans were developed and applied to treat animal health disorders too for example practicing veterinary acupuncture on army horses. TCVM and especially Veterinary Acupuncture (VA) subsequently spread to other countries outside the mainland China, due to the work of pioneers like Soulie de Morant, who translated Chinese works into French which later spread to Germany and Austria . Both TCM and TCVM are primarily used as a complementary alternative medicine approach for treatment or prevention of health disorders. Some of those alternative techniques were used to treat animals for centuries and nowadays a wide segment of the public is getting aware of the therapeutic effects of practices as veterinary acupuncture, homeopathy, application of plant, animal and mineral derived substances, etc. Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) is described as “…a heterogeneous group of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic philosophies and practices. The theoretical bases and techniques of CAVM may diverge from veterinary medicine routinely taught in North American veterinary medical schools or may differ from current scientific knowledge, or both.” . The general attitude of the veterinary profession towards CAVM is still skeptic, but Habacher et al. studied the effectiveness of acupuncture in veterinary medicine and stated that the number of owners who seek acupuncture as a therapy for their animals had increased.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, while relatively new to the Western world, has been used to treat animals in China for thousands of years. The practice was adapted and extrapolated from a medical system grounded in Daoist philosophy. The practice is founded on the idea that the body has an energy force running throughout it. This energy force, or Qi (pronounced “Chee”), consists of all essential life activities including the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical aspects of life. A person or animal’s health and wellbeing is influenced by the flow of this Qi energy. When Qi is interrupted or unbalanced an illness may occur. The practice of acupuncture allows practitioners to access and influence the flow of Qi energy along the body’s highways, referred to as Meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture thereby restores balance and healthful flow of Qi energy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine developed in China. Its roots are in writings and practices which were developed over millennia. TCM uses acupuncture, herbs and other natural substances, acupressure, food therapy, meditation and exercise to maintain health and treat disease.
TCM has been used in Eastern cultures to treat humans for thousands of years, and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) has used the same concepts and methods of diagnosis and treatment to treat animals for a similar period of time. In China, practitioners of veterinary medicine undergo an exhaustive training program in TCVM, which parallels the training programs for practitioners of TCM.
In the Western world, veterinary practitioners of TCM have generally taken auxiliary training in the theories and practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine after receiving their veterinary degrees.
The Chinese medical view is that each living creature is a small part of the infinite universe, and is subject to the same laws that govern the rest of the cosmos. Therefore, an understanding of health requires an understanding of the laws of nature.
The TCM practitioner views health as a state of harmony or balance existing between the internal environment of the body and the external environment it lives in. Unfavorable climactic conditions, emotional upset, physical trauma, infectious organisms, poor nutrition, inappropriate lifestyle, heredity, and other pathogenic factors are capable of disrupting this state of harmony.
TCM developed a metaphoric or schematic model for how the internal body operates that incorporated the same principles of balance and harmony that govern the ecology of the natural world. Health and disease are viewed simply as two different self-perpetuating cycles, both of which are resistant to change. Organ interactions are the stepping stones in each cycle. When they are mutually supportive, the spinning of the cycle allows the organism to throw off illness. When they are mutually antagonistic, the spinning of the cycle makes the organism resistant to all but therapies which directly address the stepping stones (organ interactions) in the cycle of disease. From the TCM perspective, chronic disease is not chaos, but a highly stable state, which explains why it is so difficult to resolve.
Largely due to cultural taboos, most civilizations in the world prior to the advent of modern medicine lacked definitive knowledge about the inner workings of the body. In order to address illness in the absence of detailed medical knowledge, most cultures developed schematic or metaphoric models for how the body worked. Almost all believed that individuals have inherent strengths and weaknesses. Since we are born with these weaknesses, they are viewed to pervade our systems and to have somehow contributed to most of our health problems. These weaknesses are echoed in everything, including our behaviors, our appetites, our childhood illnesses, and even how our tongue looks or our pulse feels. Chinese medical diagnosticians take a comprehensive history and perform a detailed physical examination to disclose as many of these manifestations as possible. The goal is to understand what metaphoric mechanism can best explain all that has happened or is currently going on with a patient. This dynamic state is then treated, usually using acupuncture, herbs, or diet.
Preventive measures, such as appropriate diets, improved relationships and healthier lifestyles, are then introduced to help the body regulate itself, and thus compensate for these specific weaknesses and reduce disease susceptibility in the future.
CM can be used to treat almost any imbalance in health except that which absolutely requires surgery. Acupuncture can be useful to achieve sedation or anesthesia in patients, thus reducing the need for anesthetic agents in some surgical procedures. Typical conditions that can be successfully treated with TCVM include inflammatory bowel disease, hormonal disorders, epilepsy, allergies, cancer, kidney and liver failure, behavioral problems, and chronic lameness, just to name a few.
Chinese Medicine Theory
Chinese Medicine is based on the Daoist worldview that the body is a microcosm of the larger, surrounding universe. As such, the cosmic laws and forces that govern the external world also govern the body’s internal environment. Just as life-energy or “Qi” is an innate force of the universe, it too is a fundamental force of the body, driving its every action and transformation. Yin-Yang theory, which is central to Daoist philosophy, also features prominently in Chinese Medicine. This theory describes how opposing forces of the universe – light and dark, hot and cold, etc,- mutually create and transform each other, and play a key role in the characterization of physiological function and disease.
The Ancient Chinese observed yearly cycles through five seasons – spring, summer, late summer, autumn, and winter, which they corresponded to the Wu Xing, or Five Elements, consisting of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Just as the Earth cycles through these five seasons, the body, too, passes through the five phases in its own life cycle. In this way, a young pup is said to be in its Wood (or spring) phase of life, while an old mare is said to be in its Water (or winter) phase. Moreover, the bodily organs have also been mapped to the five phases, and the Five Element Theory is used to explain the functional relationships between organ systems. For instance, the Kidney, corresponding to the Water element, is the “mother” of the Liver, a Wood element organ, because Water generates Wood in the way that watering a tree makes it grow.
Disharmony and Disease
In Chinese Medicine theory, disease is understood as an imbalance in the body, and diagnosis proceeds through identifying the underlying “pattern” of disharmony. Pattern diagnosis differs from conventional Western medical diagnosis in that it takes into account not only disease signs but how these signs relate to the individual patient. Thus, TCVM practitioners will consider the temperament, sex, age, activity, and environment of an animal along with the animal’s particular disease signs. This approach stems from the belief that the body is an interconnected system of forces and functions so that disease and disharmony must be examined with respect to the whole patient. For this reason, Chinese Medicine is often regarded as more holistic than conventional Western Medicine.
The Four Branches of TCVM
TCVM is comprised of four main treatment modalities
1 Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment that involves the stimulation of points, typically achieved through the insertion of specialized needles into the body. Acupuncture points typically lie along the body’s Meridian Channels along which Qi flows. Most veterinary acupuncture points and Meridian lines are transposed to animals from humans, though knowledge of some “classical points” defined on particular species has been retained and is used to this day.
- Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine utilizes herbal ingredients listed within the Chinese Herbal Materia Medica in particular combinations or formulas to treat particular disease patterns. Herbal formulas are administered orally and are typically given in powder form to horses and other large animals and in tea pill or capsule form to cats and dogs
- Food Therapy
Food Therapy is the use of diet to treat and prevent imbalance within the body. It utilizes knowledge of the energetics of food ingredients to tailor diets for individual animals
- Tui-na
Tui-na is a form of Chinese medical massage in which different manipulations are applied to acupoints and Meridians to promote the circulation of Qi and correct imbalances within the organ systems.
Integration between East and West
TCVM is often viewed as a form of complementary therapy and is best when used in conjunction with Western Veterinary Medicine (WVM). Both TCVM and WVM have their own strengths and weaknesses. TCVM is a holistic approach that is suited to assessing the well-being of the whole patient, and treatments are generally non-invasive with few side effects. However, TCVM lacks the tools necessary to pinpoint illness to specific disease-causing agents like pathogenic bacteria or viruses, and treatments are better suited for chronic conditions than acute ones. On the other hand, WVM utilizes the tools of modern science to diagnose disease with great precision, and Western drugs and procedures are powerful and fast-acting. However, its insistence on detailed diagnosis may come at the expense of getting the larger picture. Furthermore, while modern medicine can perform miracles for trauma and acute injuries, it has little to offer chronic conditions like liver failure and atopy which can be treated effectively with acupuncture and herbal medicine. In many ways, TCVM and WVM each has what the other lacks. Thus, the best medical system involves the integration of the two systems, so that the strengths of one can compensate for the weaknesses of the other.
Veterinary medicine has made, and continues to make, extraordinary advancements, with bold new diagnostic and treatment protocols becoming reality every day. Should modern or foundational diagnostics or treatments fail, however, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM), including acupuncture and herbals, can offer an established, recognized alternative.
TCVM can benefit veterinary patients with a wide range of conditions, such as musculoskeletal disorders, skin and ear problems, vomiting and diarrhea, seizures, urinary conditions, behavioral problems, and more. TCVM can be used alone or in conjunction with Western medicine protocols.
The pattern diagnosis
As inn Western medicine, every visit to a TCVM veterinarian starts with a patient history and snout-to-tail physical examination. But TCVM practitioners also look for a few slightly different and often very subtle cues to develop what is known as a pattern diagnosis, which involves the following principles:
- Yin-yang theory: The concept of dualism that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites
- The 5 elements theory: Describes the interactions and relationships between things wood (liver), fire (heart), earth (spleen), metal (lungs), and water (kidneys)
- The 5 vital/fundamental substances: “Qi” and “xue” (blood), “jinge” (body fluids), “jing” (essence), “shen” (spirit)
- The 6 common pathogens: The items that cause illness—wind, cold, dampness, dryness, fire, and summer heat
The tongue
The patient’s tongue can yield a great deal of information. In TCVM, the tongue is divided into regions, each representing an organ system, with the color of each section providing information to the practitioner (Figure). Pallor, redness, and deep purple represent deficiency, excess, and stagnation, respectively. Dryness, cracking, or the presence of film on the tongue helps deter-mine whether any TCVM pathogens have invaded the body.
Figure 1: In TCVM, the tongue is divided into regions, each representing an organ system.
The skin and hair coat
When examining the coat, the TCVM veterinarian is assessing its overall quality and checking for dryness or greasiness. Assessment of the skin can help determine whether there are any deficiencies or excesses. Palpating the back-shu points (specific points located on the back of the body that are tied to the patient’s organ systems) can provide a wealth of information about the musculo-skeletal system. This is done simply by simply running the hands down a patient’s back before lifting its tail.
The femoral pulses
Much like the tongue, the femoral pulses are divided into regions linked to the heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, bladder, kidneys, and intestines. Palpating the quality of these pulses (eg, excessive, thready, slippery, weak, floating) and their corresponding organ systems helps practitioners accurately form a comprehensive pattern diagnosis. Once a pattern diagnosis has been formed (eg, kidney qi deficiency, yang excess, liver qi stagnation), treatment with acupuncture and herbs can begin.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses acupoints to diffuse or infuse qi and blood associated with organ systems through meridians (channels through which those fundamental substances flow, much like the circulatory system). Meridians and acupoints were mapped out centuries ago; in veterinary medicine, they are based on the human model. Acupuncture sessions typically last 20 to 30 minutes and should take place in a serene setting within the hospital. The most common acupuncture techniques used in veterinary practice are dry needling, aquapuncture, moxibustion, and electroacupuncture:
- Dry needling is the technique of placing sterile needles into predetermined acupoints.
- Aquapuncture is similar to dry needling but involves infusing sterile saline or vitamin B12directly into the acupoints.
- Moxibustion is the burning of moxa (mugwort) and safe use of heat to dissipate cold patterns and return heat to yang-deficient patients.
- Electroacupuncture stimulates nerves in patients with neuropathic deficiency patterns (eg, degenerative myelopathy).
Herbal medicine
Chinese herbs are most effective when used in conjunction with acupuncture. Herbal formulations from licensed distributors have been researched thoroughly and documented through clinical studies to be safe and effective. Most modern-day herbal formulations are derived from age-old formulas used for generations by physicians practicing traditional Chinese medicine.
Working as one
Acupuncture and herbal medicine go hand in hand with conventional modern medicine. These TCVM methods can be integrated seamlessly into any practice to help diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments and are an invaluable addition to any general or specialty practice. Patients will benefit from the multimodal diagnostic techniques and therapies, and clients will be appreciative of the benefits of alternative medicine in the care of their pets
Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Origins with Pets
The first written record of acupuncture is found in the 2,700 year-old Huang Di Nei Jing, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world. The first veterinary text was written in China around 450 B.C. and dealt with the treatment of horses and livestock with acupuncture. The knowledge and theory behind the application of acupuncture may be ancient, but the practice has evolved in modern times. This includes extending ancient knowledge of the body’s Meridians from human and livestock physiology and applying it to a broad range of companion animals. Much like Western Medicine, as our understanding of physiology expands so too does our ability to explain why acupuncture benefits a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
Reference-On request.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/veterinary-tcm
