As coincidence would have it, I finished reading the terrific new book, “Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science,”
by physicist Robert Park, on the very morning that I came across a
story about using acupuncture in animals. The coincidence is this: among
the fascinating debunking that Park engages in (intercessory prayer, homeopathy, ESP . . . ) is the obligatory chapter on acupuncture, which has been shown to be effective for such things as relieving lower-back pain and headaches.
Acupuncture works, Park explains, because it triggers the placebo
effect: patients believe in it, and that belief releases endogenous
opioids, among other effects.
Which brings us back to animals. Are the minds of horses, dogs and
cats sophisticated enough that when they see someone approach with
needles, and gently swirl them around various entry points, the beast
thinks, “ah, this smart person is trying to help me,” and presto—placebo
effect? Dr. Mark Crisman, a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
at Virginia Tech, administered acupuncture therapy to a horse named
Gypsy, who had an infection in her ankle. Crisman was using acupuncture
(plus traditional therapy) to help strengthen her bones and immune
system, and relieve pain--successfully, apparently. The college offers
acupuncture to animals large and small, for conditions from skin
disorders to musculoskeletal issues to neurological problems. |