Gastrointestinal-targeted acupuncture briefly slowed stomach emptying and intestinal transit in conscious dogs compared with sham stimulation or no treatment.
In a randomised, blinded crossover study, six conscious dogs consumed barium-marked polyethylene spheres during separate sessions involving no acupuncture, stimulation at gastrointestinal-targeted acupuncture points, or stimulation at non-target points. Abdominal radiographs were taken after feeding and hourly thereafter, and investigators counted spheres remaining in the stomach and reaching the large intestine.
Dogs receiving gastrointestinal-targeted acupuncture had fewer spheres leaving the stomach during the early observation period than dogs receiving sham stimulation or no treatment. They also had fewer spheres reaching the colon and rectum for several hours, indicating a temporary slowing of gastrointestinal transit that resolved later in the observation period.
