Allternative Medicine

Meta-Analysis Points to Benefits of Acupuncture for Laminitis

By Adam Marcus

Acupuncture may be an effective treatment for laminitis, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the procedure.

Researchers in Indonesia and Turkey found the needle therapy administered twice per week for 4 consecutive weeks reduced lameness and hastened recovery from laminitis, according to Muhammad Thohawi Elziyad Purnama, DVM, MSc, of the Division of Veterinary Medicine at the Universitas Airlangga, in East Java, Indonesia.

For the study, Dr. Purnama and his colleagues analyzed 7 previously published studies looking at the effects of acupuncture on equine laminitis. Procedures included conventional “dry-needle” acupuncture as well as other forms, such as aqua-acupuncture, which injects a small amount of fluid into the acupuncture points, and electroacupuncture, which includes electrical stimulation.

The main sites of insertion of the needles were points associated in traditional Chinese medicine with the bladder, pericardium, heart, lung and intestines, as well as so-called “Baihui points” at the top of the head, which are considered to be vital points for neurologic and psychiatric conditions.

The researchers found that animals that received the intervention were about 2.2 times more likely to experience an improvement in laminitis when compared with horses that did not receive acupuncture. They also found acupuncture was linked to a 5-point decrease in lameness when the studies were pooled.

“Although this meta-analysis study has demonstrated that acupuncture contributes to the recovery of laminitis-affected horses, further studies seem to be warranted to investigate whether acupuncture is beneficial when combined with feed supplements, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication or physiological modifiers,” the researchers wrote.

“In our view, in addition to acupuncture as a supportive measure, daily observation and management of the horse’s hoof should be done, including cleaning with antiseptic, bandaging and preventing infection with antibiotics, if necessary,” Dr. Purnama said in an interview with Modern Equine Vet. “However, if laminitis is caused by random bone structure anomalies or gait changes, then intensive measures with hoof evaluation and resurfacing, and also diet, may be considered.” MeV

For more information:
Fikri F, Purnomo A, Maslamam ST, et al. Effectiveness of acupuncture for equine laminitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Vet World. 2025;18(1):60-66. https://veterinaryworld.org/Vol.18/January-2025/7.php