Integrative veterinary medicine including acupuncture, physical therapy, and rehabilitation is providing welfare-improving pain management for companion and performance animals beyond conventional pharmaceutical approaches.
Integrative veterinary medicine expands the toolkit available for managing chronic pain and rehabilitation in animals. For conditions like osteoarthritis, where long-term pharmaceutical management has side effects and limitations, evidence-supported integrative approaches provide additional options for welfare-improving pain management. Critically evaluating evidence quality helps ensure integrative approaches supplement rather than replace evidence-based conventional care.