This simple fact was brought home to me one day as I entered the barn to find a small group of people gathered around Shadow, a beautiful black Tennesse Walking Horse. These were all experienced horsemen and woman, but as we watched the practitioner attach small electrodes to Shadow's fetlocks and croup and hook her up to the overnight bag-sized machine, we were all seeing something we hadn't seen before. I think a little of Shadow's history is in order first.

Acupuncture is a medical procedure that consists of the gentle insertion of hair-thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic body points to treat various health conditions, stimulate the body's healing response, and promote physical and emotional well-being. It originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world. In the past two decades, acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States. An estimated 8.

Traditional acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese theories of the flow of Qi (Energy) and Xue (Blood) through distinct meridians or pathways that cover the body somewhat like the nerves and blood vessels. Acupuncture is intended to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished has been time tested over thousands of years and continues to be validated today.

Acupuncture is safe. Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Because the treatment does not involve the use of drugs, patients do not have to worry about adverse side effects. However, there are certain conditions you should notify your doctor such as hemophilia or if you have a pacemaker.

While acupuncture is often known to its effectiveness in pain control, The World Heatlh Organization (WHO) recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wider range of medical problems, including: ? Muscular and Skeletal Disorders: arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, neck pain, TMJ, sciatica, low back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain.