Medicine

Acupuncture For Neurologic Recovery

In evidence-based integrative veterinary medicine, science and testing become the final arbiters of whether modalities are embraced or rejected. While approaches such as medical acupuncture pass this test with flying colors, others, such as surrogate-applied kinesiology and iridology, fail to leave the starting gate.  As the leading choice for neurologic recovery, acupuncture (somatic afferent nerve stimulation) wins again as the most studied and best understood of all complementary and alternative medical techniques.1-10 Neuroanatomically designed needling protocols address neurophysiologic dysfunction peripherally, autonomically and centrally. After a medical acupuncturist identifies the locus of the lesion, she selects stimulation methods shown to repair nerve tissue at the site of damage and facilitate communication throughout the neural network.  Points that target autonomic function promote homeostatic regulation and systemic recovery; their incorporation in acupuncture treatments draws from insights derived from translational research and evidence-based clinical trials.  Exposing the science behind acupuncture facilitates its integration into mainstream medicine and elevates the discussion from metaphors to meaning ful mechanisms. In the case of neurologic injury, for example, information about how acupuncture affects neural regrowth is steadily mounting.  Studies are revealing that a heady multitude of endogenous biological mediators—growth factors, …
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