An Introduction to Acupuncture and Its Incorporation into Equine Reproductive Practice

Introduction Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) has been used to treat animals, primarily horses, cattle and pigs, for thousands of years in China. It differs from Western medicine in that acupuncture focuses on " balance " of the physiological, spiritual and emotional wellbeing of an individual while conventional Western medicine focuses on controlling a disease. Western medical practitioners analyze a disease to discover its specific, physical cause, whether this is an infectious agent, an enzymatic defect, cancer or a toxic insult. By fully understanding the functions of the physical body down to a cellular or molecular level, one can target the abnormality and better control the disease process.