Acupuncture & The Mouse? 

Wait, is this about veterinary acupuncture? Nope. So, what does acupuncture have to do with mice you are asking? Take a few minutes and find out!

Saving Up

I owned a house in Boonton New Jersey and one fall I went to get my work boots out of the closet to do some yard work. I put one on no problem but when I went to put the other one on, I couldn’t get my foot in! I look in the boot and it is FILLLED with dog kibble!! I look at my dog...she looks at me and we both shrug our shoulders. I lived in a wooded area and after thinking about it, I realized that it must have been mice who moved the food from the dog bowl to the boot for storage! Thinking about it further, I realized that there was enough food in the boot for 10 mice for 10 lifetimes. Why the heck didn’t the mouse take a look, realize that he or she was set for life and kick back with a mai tai.

Survival Instinct

I since spoke to a physiologist friend and related the story and they said that the behavior was driven by a primitive portion of the brain that has to do with survival. Humans still have this portion of the brain, but we also have higher level functioning that lets us look at this behavior or drive and shut it off. In essence, say enough is enough, I’m going to relax. The mouse didn’t have this ability and therefore couldn’t stop the behavior. Silly mouse. I often think about this with people who have more money than they could possibly spend in 10 lifetimes yet continue to work 80-hour weeks to get more. Ostensibly, they are working for their security and maybe the security of their family but at what cost. How much time do they get for their own pleasure and how much time are they sacrificing with their family, the things in life that really matter! Silly human.

Umm, What About Acupuncture?

I’m getting there. Whether we work 80 hours a week or not, this instinctual drive can cause things like anxiety, and depression on the flip side. By using acupuncture in conjunction with electrical stimulation, we can induce the brain and body to produce certain neuro-chemicals that relax the central nervous system, engage the parasympathetic nervous system (you can read about the divisions of the nervous system and how they affect you in my 2 part blog Are You Sympathetic Part 1 and Are You Sympathetic Part 2) disengage your adrenal glands, giving them a much needed rest and reduce stress hormones. These are powerful treatments that work with your body to reduce anxiety and depression and give you much needed sleep to recover from the rigors of your life! When I relate this story to my patients, I tell them “Don’t be like the silly mouse”!