Dr. Sagiv Ben-Yakir D.V.M (Ontario veterinary College, Canada ‘86 in honor ), M.R.C.V.S ,

1. Bovine Veterinary Low Level Laser Acupuncture (VLLLA) applied in order to reduce High Somatic Cell Counts (S.C.C) Dr. Sagiv Ben-Yakir D.V.M (Ontario veterinary College, Canada ‘86 in honor), M.R.C.V.S, C.V.A (IVAS, San Diego, CA, US), C.V.C (Back Bone Academy, Germany) The Academic College at Wingate Institute, Israelbenyakir@netvision.net.il

2. Background - • Modern dairy herds work under a continual demand for a high performance in terms of milk quality and quantity. Most countries provide a veterinary care on a national scale, with coordination between State and private interests. • As in many western modern countries, the Israeli dairy system is centralized, and various organizations are involved and multi-connected: Israeli State Veterinary Services, Israeli Cattle Breeders' Association, Milk Marketing Board and cooperative and non-cooperative veterinarians. • Herd health monitoring is done routinely, and as part of the general data collecting regime - each cow is checked once a month for somatic cell counts (SCC) in four quarters

3. Background - • somatic cells are present in the cow milk and are composed of epithelial cells from the mammary secretory tissue & white blood cells. • Epithelial cells in milk are part of normal bodily function; they are shed and renewed in normal bodily processes. • Normally occurring white blood cells serve as a defense mechanism to fight disease, and assist in repairing damaged tissue

4. Background - • Normal milk should contains only low levels of somatic cells. • High somatic cell counts (SCCs) in the cow milk indicate mastitis - subclinical or clinical, with a reduced quality and quantity of the milk

5. Background - • The milk market relies on SCC to aid in ensuring a quality product. • SCCs are monitored to show compliance with national standards. • The SCC is assessed in milk taken from the four quarters and mixed before testing. • Most markets pay a premium for milk with a low SCC and penalize farmers for a high SCC (above a mark value, usually >250,000 cells/ml). • If the SCC is very high, the milk may be declared unmarketable, and the farmer may face other severe sanctions. • During routine activities on dairy farms, cows suffer from repeated minor traumatic events, especially to the udder. This can arise as in faults in the milking machinery (liner slip, vacuum faults, incorrect pulsation ratios, stray electric voltages on the milk-line etc.), or teat-treads in badly designed cubicles, in rushing cows with pendulous udders. These traumas can irritate the teats or udder tissues, and can induce subclinical or clinical mastitis and high SCCs. • Also - SCC is a multi-factorial issue & vary due to many factors as day in lactation, environment changes etc

6. In our pilot study we looked upon the possibility to reduce a high SCC (>350,000 cells/ml) to normal values (<250,000 cells/ml) by inserting acupuncture needles to specifically selected acupuncture points and apply on them veterinary low level laser. • In this pilot study 14 high yield cows were selected for the study. These cows were chosen due to their excellent past performances, outstanding excellent genetic, high SCC for at least 6 mos. no pathogenic bacteria and had dry cow treatment

7. Acupuncture points - • Prof. Oswald Kothbauer (from Veterinary University of Vienna, Austria)described in his book (“Veterinary Acupuncture – basic principles and their clinical applications with ear acupuncture on cattle and some references to the horse”):”Our research & observations on cows over 30 yrs. showed that BL-30 & BL-30-01 are preferred in chronic mastitis especially with moxibustion”

10. Needles: • Sharp stainless steel needles 28 G 40 mm in length

11. laser

12. protocol • Each of the 14 cows had scc before the trial - actually done monthly for 6 times over a period of time of 6 mos – and in all of them – well above normal scc. • Acupuncture done using the previously described needles at the described acupuncture pts bi-laterally (depth of 2 cm) once a day for 10 minutes for 4 days. • At the same time laser machines applied to the acupuncture pts for the same period of time – 10 minutes for 4 days • SCC was done at the next month, and was compared to the previous scc

13. Results of scc of the bovine low level laser acupuncture trial

14. Results of scc of the bovine low level laser acupuncture trial • In 10 out 14 cows the scc went down below 250,000 cells/ml • In 4 out 14 cows the scc went down, but the goal # of 250,000 cells/ml was not achieved

15. Conclusions The preliminary data suggests that bovine veterinary low level laser acupuncture (VLLLA) is reducing the SCCs of high-yield dairy cows with chronic non-responsive mastitis. Further research with high numbers of cows is needed

16. addendum Thomas Kuhn in The structure of scientific revolutions: “ Most forms of CAM have different paradigms from western biomedicine. Different paradigms have different frames of references, different methodological approaches to problems, different languages, and they can not be translated into others. If CAM adopts EBM paradigm which is materialistic, mechanistic, reductionist, linear-causal and deterministic – Yin & Yang can not exist”

17. addendum Also: “Can we translate the Chinese term “Qi” into “Energy” of the western world? Qi (like Yin & Yang) is a fundamental and a complex concept which cannot be understood without taking into account the totality of the theoretical foundation and practice of Chinese medicine in addition to the Chinese worldview. Meridians are referred in western terms as two-dimension passageways, but in TCM they are looked as three-dimension passageways through which Qi and Blood flow at different levels of the body. It is inappropriate to refer to the channels by using two-dimensional term…and there are many other fundamental examples

18. addendum Also:“Any CAM that practiced its original way cannot be the same as its biomedical version – they must stay two separate ways. If the biomedical paradigm is adopted, it will have its characteristics – materialistic, mechanistic, reductionist, linear-causal and deterministic, and in short – “Yin and Yang can not exist” will be unavoidable. Also – the questions and answers are different in the different paradigms – a CAM clinician will recognizes conditions that are hard to diagnose in biomedical terms, and if the paradigm will be changed – this ability will be lost forever!” We should insist that our own paradigm will be given a full recognition and acceptance