Hocking program teaches acupressure, massage for dogs
By Nick Claussen
August 25, 2008
Hocking College students and people from around the country took their dogs to the college last week to learn about how to use acupressure techniques on their pets.
The acupressure class grew out of the college’s program for horses, and the college may soon become the home for a national board to certify people in acupressure techniques for dogs.
Tina Romine, who teaches in the equine health and complementary therapy program at Hocking College, explained that acupressure is one technique used with the horses. The program teaches students to work with horses using several different methods such as massage and acupressure, Romine said.
She has worked with racehorses in the past, and has seen the difference massage and acupressure can make with the horses, she said.
Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine that works with the “energy pathways in the body,” she explained. When a pathway gets blocked, it can cause problems in other parts of the body, Romine said.
The idea behind the acupressure is to apply pressure to different points to help release the energy to move throughout the body, she added.
The students are not trained to diagnose problems in animals or treat the medical diagnoses, as the acupressure is just another method to help the animals, she said.
Romine said the principles of acupressure also work with dogs, so she set up a class with the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute to teach about acupressure with dogs at Hocking College. Based in Colorado, Tallgrass holds classes all around the country.
Amy Snow of Tallgrass explained that her company offers several classes in acupressure for different animals. A national certification board is being put together for animal acupressure, and the plans are to house the national board at Hocking College, according to Snow. This does not mean that students will come to the college to take the certification exam, but that the college will issue the certificates and be involved with the board, Snow said.
Last week’s class was held for 20 students and 10 dogs, and students from Philadelphia, Michigan and other places outside of Ohio attended, along with the Hocking College students.
Hocking College students Amber Schmidt of Zanesville and Ashley Savage of Albany were among those in the class on Friday, and they were working with Harley, a Yorkie/poodle mix.
Schmidt said she has worked on aromatherapy and acupressure methods with horses, and has seen them work. She hopes to eventually work in a veterinary office where she can provide these additional services to the animals being treated there.
Savage added that the massage and acupressure seemed to be relaxing Harley, who looked like he was enjoying the class. She added that she can see how the acupressure can restore balance to the dogs, but conceded that it’s easier to do the techniques in larger animals such as horses.
Hocking College students Brittany Cutlip of Columbus and Eryka Holland of Baltimore, Ohio, were also in the class working with Dash, a Great Pyrenees.
Cutlip, who said the acupressure was helping Dash to relax, noted that it’s common to see the horses and dogs yawn or sigh during acupressure, as they are releasing tension.
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DPlumb commented, on August 24, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.:
Scam artists in action.
It's actually hard for me to blame the people described in this article for what their doing (shilling a treatment with no medical benefits), because I'm fairly certain they are convinced of its effectiveness themselves. Massage is one thing, but acupuncture is another. Properly conducted studies using controls and good scientific methodology have found that acupuncture AT BEST results in a placebo effect.
Furthermore, to make ambiguous claims such as:
“energy pathways in the body,”
And
"release the energy to move throughout the body"
Are absurd.
What energy?
Can you quantify it? Measure it?
No, you can not, and it means whatever you want it to mean.
The meridians and touch points and techniques for manipulating these things were developed thousands of years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine is not based on knowledge of modern physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, anatomy, the known mechanisms of healing, knowledge of cell chemistry, blood circulation, nerve function, or the existence of hormones or other biochemical substances. There is no correlation between the meridians used in traditional Chinese medicine and the actual layout of the organs and nerves in the human body.
Based on the standards of proper medicinal practice and scientific evidence, to allow Hocking College to develop this program would be a huge waste of money that could go towards other programs that teach REAL fields.
David Plumb
President, Ohio University Skeptic's Society
ohiouskepticsociety@gmail.com
ohiouskepticsoceity.blogspot.com
http://ohiouskepticsociety.forumotion.net/
DPlumb commented, on August 25, 2008 at 12:50 p.m.:
CORRECTION: I initially replied talking about acuPRESSURE when indeed the class is about acuPUNCTURE.
However, acupressure is what is referred to as ‘sham acupuncture’ (generally used as a placebo control in medical trials). Using the term acupuncture in my response was indeed inconsistent with the story. However, the same principals apply – meridians and touchpoints. The true difference is pressure v. puncture. The reviews of acupressure clinical trials have concluded that said trials either showed a lack of effectiveness or lack of proper methodology and control (in accordance with the protocols of evidence-based medicine). I apologize again for the error, and thank the person who brought this to my attention. I'm critical and skeptical, and by no means claim to be infallible - I simply employ the scientific method which is a corrective process. I unfortunately cannot say the same for advocates of ancient Chinese medical practices.
--David Plumb
DPlumb commented, on August 25, 2008 at 12:52 p.m.:
correction again, I flipped PRESSURE AND PUNCTURE in my opening sentence
