While improvement usually follows each treatment, several sessions are generally required. Sometimes heat at acupuncture points is called for. If the animal has a Qi deficiency, heating the points can speed the healing process. To do this, moxibustion, an herbal preparation from the plant commonly known as mugwart, is used. Aquapuncture is the injection of a substance into an acupuncture point - saline, vitamins, even antibiotics.
Stimulation occurs for several days after injection.
This technique is sometimes used instead of dry needles and can be quite effective. One technique used for prolonged point stimulation is gold bead implantation. For animals with very chronic or progressive diseases, surgically implanting threads, gold beads or gold wire into the acupuncture points can help keep the animal healthy or reduce the need for daily medications. The American Veterinary Medical Association currently recognizes acupuncture as a valid mode of therapy and considers its practice a medical and surgical procedure to be done by certified veterinary practitioners who have completed extensive training. Although acupuncture cannot solve all the problems in equine medicine, in conjunction with Western treatments, it offers owners more options and potential solutions to keeping their horses healthy, performing in top condition and overcoming troubles.