AcupunctuRE for injury prevention & Recovery
Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in treating pain, at any phase of an injury healing process. Athletes of all calibers seek acupuncture for treatments including injury prevention, and assistance in injury recovery.
How We Treat Injuries:
Acupuncturists view injuries, ailments and their associated treatments holistically. By activating acupuncture points on the body’s meridians (channel pathways in the body) we help the body to restore balance for normal functions that require homeostasis for cell regulation, which results in decrease in inflammation, pain, and a shorter recovery timeline.
Supporting Evidence:
A major study in 2004 found that, “Acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care.”
A 2015 Systematic Review found that “acupuncture is more clinically effective in pain relief and functional improvement than no treatment at short-term follow-up.” Additionally, “acupuncture as an adjunct to conventional therapy provides short-term clinically relevant improvements in pain and functional measures for the treatment of chronic low back pain.”
How We Relieve Pain:
Acupuncture is effective for both acute and chronic pain. Acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and activates the central nervous system to reduce pain perception.
There are studies that show that acupuncture is more effective than pain medication, and has far fewer side effects.
Depending on the severity of the injury and whether it is acute or chronic in nature, patients experience a reduction in pain that is either greatly reduced, if not completely eliminated after a series of sessions.
Supporting Evidence:
A 2017 Meta- Analysis found that “Acupuncture was associated with a greater immediate pain relief effect compared to sham acupuncture and analgesic injections.”
A 2013 Systematic review stated that, “Compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture may more effectively improve symptoms of acute LBP”(low back pain)
Vickers et al in 2012 concluded that “Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option. Significant differences between true and sham acupuncture indicate that acupuncture is more than a placebo.”
How We Reduce Inflammation:
Acupuncture stimulates a natural anti-inflammatory response by activating nerve pathways that suppress inflammation, and affecting cytokines (proteins secreted by the immune system that influence the way in which cells interact). Acupuncture has been shown to increase anti-inflammatory cytokines, and to decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines. In Chinese Medicine, we refer to this imbalance as the obstruction of qi (energy) and blood.
Supporting Evidence:
The insertion of needles “stimulates multiple neuro-immune pathways, including the cholinergic anti-inflammatory, vagus-adrenal medulla-dopamine, and sympathetic pathways, as well as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, ultimately acting immune cells via the release of crucial neurotransmitters and hormones”
Anti-Inflammatory Actions of Acupuncture: “From preliminary results it is conceivable to hypothesise that CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide) has a prominent role in the acupuncture-affected regulation of acute, sub-acute and chronic inflammation, regarding the vasodilative properties of this neuropeptide.”
How We Help to Prevent Injury:
Acupuncture helps to relax and reset the nervous system by balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic (fight or flight actions, and rest and digest). By stimulating fibroblasts acupuncture aids in tissue repair, activates weak muscles, and decreases muscle tension.
How We Shorten Recovery:
Acupuncture after a workout, practice or game can greatly reduce your recovery time by decreasing inflammation, moving lactic acid, lymph, and increasing overall circulation. Post-event (game, race, etc) acupuncture treatments minimize muscle fatigue and pain, enhance energy, and facilitate rapid recovery. This is especially important for athletes who have many events within a short period of time. Acupuncture can maximize your athletic abilities by directing energy where you need it most, to enhance athletic performance.
Supporting Evidence:
In a 2009 study of elite male basketball players: “The results showed that the acupuncture group (PC6 and ST36) has significantly lower HR(max), VO(2max) and blood lactic acid than both the sham and normal groups at the 30th min post-exercise. Blood lactic acid of the acupuncture group was also significantly lower than that of the other two groups in the 60th min post-exercise. Our findings have shed some light on the development of effective acupuncture schemes to enhance the recovery ability for elite basketball athletes.”
Acupuncture aids in promoting faster recovery after training sessions. “When used as an auxiliary training method, acupuncture can increase individuals' exercise capacity and obviously regulate the strength and endurance of human skeletal muscles. Acupuncture can delay declines in strength and endurance and prevent exercise fatigue. Acupuncture at the body's receptors to increase muscle activity may induce PAP and increase muscle strength.”
How We Go Beyond Dry Needling:
With painless needling, we treat: the area of pain, where the pain originates, and the root cause. Any compensation patterns, or related organ imbalances are also addressed.
When to Start:
Ideally, start at the beginning of your sport or training season, before there is an injury. Build the sessions into your training and recovery calendar. Prehab, or maintenance sessions at the beginning of a season can help to prevent certain injuries. Ultimately, since acupuncture is effective at treating injuries, and preventing injuries, it’s never too early or too late to start.