Veterinary rehabilitation is widely regarded as the fastest growing area in veterinary medicine as witnessed by the newly established American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. A few evidence-based studies exist to demonstratethe superior outcome of acupuncture combined with physical therapies. In general these studies establish pain was controlled better by acupuncture while range of motion (ROM) improved following physical therapy. However patients treated by both methods had the best outcome.Just as we understand dietary therapies to be integral to the long-term management of pathologies treated with herbs; physical therapies should be employed to complement the outcomes of acupuncture. Massage therapy (Tui-na) has traditionally been practiced but is not a replacement for functional therapies that can be utilized outside the clinical setting by the primary caregiver.Few veterinarians are trained in both acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy. The analytical tools that physical therapies contribute allow a more systematic measure of progress and outcomes. By employing these tools more rigorously we may be able to provide answers to the prickly question of efficacy of acupuncture with scientific evidence, all the while providing exemplary patient care.
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