The ABVA has been providing high quality Continued Professional Development for veterinary surgeons since the 1990s. It continues to be the only UK based organisation to provide a Foundation Course in Veterinary Acupuncture that provides education in both the scientific and traditional aspects of the discipline.
Vets interested in learning acupuncture are initially directed to our Foundation Course (over 4 days and covering both small animal and equine acupuncture) or the Equine Acupuncture Introduction (3 days, equine only). The teaching provided stands firmly on a Western clinical diagnosis and an understanding of acupuncture’s neurophysiological mechanisms; but to broaden your experience we would like to introduce you to some of the historical and traditional concepts from which this ancient form of medicine evolved. Both courses contain a thorough introduction to acupuncture, its history, the science behind it and the application to clinical cases seen in practice. Through a generous allocation of practical labs, delegates are able to practise their palpation and pointfinding skills on live animals and to observe treatment demonstrations.
On completion of this course, delegates are equipped to choose appropriate cases and start to
use acupuncture in practice. Follow up support is available from ABVA lecturers as required, and there are further courses available for those that wish to learn more. See the courses page for more details.
Attendance of the Foundation Courses will automatically be granted one year’s membership of the ABVA and therefore can access all of the great benefits of membership.
Having been out of veterinary practice for several years following the birth of my daughter, I spoke with a member of ABVA at the London Vet Show and was really interested in exploring the benefits of acupuncture further. I completed the Foundation Course in April of this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. All 3 of the main lecturers and the assistants (other ABVA representatives) are highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about their subject, which makes the lectures easy to engage with and follow. There is a huge amount of information covered which is somewhat daunting but the lecturers are approachable and happy to answer any questions, both during lectures and in their own time. I thought the balance between the different approaches of western acupuncture and TCM was perfect and personally believe the inclusion of TCM in the course enhanced my understanding of the principles behind the ‘art’ of acupuncture. Since completing the foundation course, I have also completed two further ABVA courses and have several patients currently undergoing acupuncture treatment. I would recommend the foundation course to anyone interested in veterinary acupuncture.Emma Hedderson