Acupuncture is the practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anesthesia.
Acupuncture in one member of a family of procedures that involve the stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. These anatomical locations are called acupuncture points or acupoints.
Acupuncture is based on the premise that there are many pathways of energy flow through the body that are essential for health. These pathways are called Meridians. The energy is called Qi (pronounced Chee).
Disruptions of these energy pathways are believed to be responsible for disease and/or pain. The goal of acupuncture is to correct imbalances of energy flow via the stimulation of identifiable acupoints close to the skin.
Acupoints are specific discrete points on the body that can be stimulated to restore energy flow and Qi, thus relieving pain, eliminating problems and increasing energy.
Acupressure is a form of touch therapy that is based on the principles of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupressure treats the same anatomical locations that are treated in acupuncture. Acupressure stimulates these points with finger pressure instead of the insertion of needles. Other methods of acupoint stimulation may also be used including light (including lasers) , heat (moxibustion) and magnets.
Tui-na is a Chinese manual therapy used to prevent and treat medical conditions. Tui-na translates to “push and hold”. Tui-na is the origin of modern Swedish massage techniques. Tui-na techniques may be applied to specific meridians and/or acupoints.
Equine Acupuncture, Equine Acupressure and Equine Tui-na are the application of Acupuncture/Acupressure/Tui-na techniques to the horse.
