Equine acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapy can be used to treat a range of disorders. While typically used to treat chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders such as lameness, it can be used to alleviate disorders involving digestion, respiration, as well as intestinal discorders (colic), and behavioral symptoms. Acupuncture involves putting thin needles in specific points (acupuncture points) on the body to treat issues or provide pain relief.
In electroacupuncture an electric current passes through needles inserted in specific pairs of acupuncture points to stimulate a larger area and provide greater pain relief. Originating in traditional Chinese medicine, the practice of acupuncture involves applying pressure to specific locations on the surface of the skin in order to affect the channels through which Qi, defined as life force and energy, flows through the body. By stimulating these points, acupuncture assists the horse's body in balancing its own energies and healing itself.