There are actually some interesting studies in vet med about acupuncture. Studies that show efficacy. Everyone’s still confused as all hell as to why it seems to help, and the Honest certified acupuncturists I’ve met are pretty dismissive about the whole standard explanation “chi-flow” and “meridians” BS. I’ve personally seen some interesting cases where it has seemed to help when the standard anti-inflammatory meds were minimally effective (but of course that’s all anecdotal evidence). That being said, I’ve only ever seen it assist in improving discomfort, not be an effective replacement for anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive therapies.
As for the lasers… It’s probably a technology that has some limited applications, much like hyperbaric oxygen, but because it’s a relatively new and not terribly well understood treatment modality, there’s a LOT of misuse/overuse.
But yeah, when you’ve lost proprioception, there’s not always a lot you can do unless it’s something relatively acute and surgically reparable (like a acute disc protrusion or something similar). It sucks. That’s what happened to my last lab as well (when she was 14.5).
