Our bodies and those of all animals are intricately wired and I’m not just talking about the nervous system. There is a direct current (DC) system that sets up a complex pattern of electrical fields (EFs). Any time there is a movement of electrons, an electrical field is generated. It is the summation and interaction of all the electrical activity of the body and mind that results in the overall bioelectric field of an individual.

Much of the energy we consume in the form of food goes toward maintaining the electrical gradients across the cellular membranes of all the cells of the body. Scientists have long realized that cell membranes contain strong electric fields, but researchers have generally assumed that 99.9 percent of a cell’s volume was electrically dormant. However, a few years ago, a University of Michigan biophysical chemist used a tiny voltmeter to measure rat brain cells’ electrical potential and detected fields as strong as 15 million volts per meter throughout the cells. Assuming this translates to us, that means we all have the electrical power of a lightning bolt within us!

In fact, we are much more electromagnetic than we are physical. According to Einstein, “We may therefore regard matter as being constituted by the regions of space in which the field is extremely intense … There is no place in this new kind of physics both for the field and matter, for the field is the only reality.”

The bioelectric fields of both amphibian and chick embryos have been analyzed and found to be quite similar. According to several studies, changing the EFs of chick and amphibian embryos causes changes in their development. Further research has revealed that the body’s bioelectric field guides morphogenesis (the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape).

Let me explain what this means. We think we know everything because we’ve figured out the genetic code. We often think of the DNA as being the blueprint for the body, but this is not exactly right. It is true that the DNA codes for the protein building blocks for every cell in the body. Certain genes in the genetic code can “turn on” and create a liver, other genes can “turn on” and make a brain. But one puzzle that DNA does not solve is what causes the brain to always form inside the skull and the liver to develop inside the abdomen? According to research, it is the body’s electrical field that dictates the turning on and off of genes related the appropriate development of the body.

Incredibly, it has been found that changing the EF changes the outcome of amputation in regenerators (animals that grow back an amputated limb) like salamanders versus non-regenerators (animals that do not grow back an amputated limb) like frogs. If a salamander’s leg is amputated and the frog’s electrical field is mimicked at the stump, the leg does not grow back. But, if the frog’s leg is amputated the salamander’s EF is mimicked, the frog’s leg will grow back. In fact, this has also been proven to be the case in young laboratory rats as well.

Furthermore, it has also been shown that when an incision is made in the skin, there is a change in the local bioelectric field before there is a biological response to the injury. This has led researchers to conclude that it is the change in electrical field that initiates the body’s healing response.

A recent study sums up the importance of the bioelectric field nicely when the researchers state, “Endogenous DC electric fields (EFs) are important, fundamental components of development, regeneration, and wound healing.” The DNA codes for the building materials but the body’s electric field is the template for the structure of the body.

The EF of the body appears to be related to the acupuncture meridian system and points. It has been known since the 1950s that acupuncture points and meridians have high electrical conductance. In other words, electricity flows more freely at these areas than other spots on the surface of the body. Perhaps bioelectricity is related the Chinese concept of Qi.

Qi is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). We sometimes think of Qi as being “life force energy.” While this is true, the ancient Chinese had a deeper understanding of the concept. They see Qi as being matter on the verge of becoming energy and energy on the threshold of materializing. This sounds strange until we take a closer look at Einstein’s famous equation: E=Mc2. The ultimate meaning of this equation is that matter can be converted into energy and energy can be converted into matter. In other words, matter and energy are two different forms of the same substance; that substance is Qi.

Qi is the substance from which the body is formed. It also is the energy that flows through the meridians of the body which allows the organism to function properly. According to the Chinese, disease is a result of an abnormal flow of Qi and health is an expression of a smooth, balanced flow of energy.

The acupuncture meridians are the conduits for the flow of Qi in the body. They are bilaterally symmetrical and they link the exterior of the body to the internal organs. There is a complex cross linking of the channels and they are named for their corresponding organs.

The acupuncture points are discrete spots on the skin where the Qi in the meridians can be accessed. They are like dimmer switches in an electrical system. These places are where a veterinary acupuncturist can tap into the energy system of the animal he is treating. Acupuncture changes the bioelectric field of the body and this may explain some of its amazing effects.

The body’s energy system can also be affected by the hands of an energy worker. Healing Touch for Animals (HTA) consists of energy field therapy that supports the body and encourages self-healing mechanisms. The techniques used will help balance the body’s energy systems allowing for optimal physiological responses. This stress-relieving energy work supports the organ systems and rids the body of unhealthy patterns to improve the animal’s overall well-being. It is gentle, noninvasive, painless, and stress-free. Animals can control their participation in the treatment, thus becoming leaders in their own process of healing.

Acupuncture and Healing Touch for Animals are two integrative veterinary medicine techniques for tapping into the body’s bioelectric field in order to aid in healing.