Acupuncture is commonly utilized in the intervention of pain and has also been gaining popularity in sports medicine. Many professional sports teams have acupuncturists on staff to decrease healing times and resolve stubborn ailments. The use of acupuncture to treat acute injuries from intense or repetitive physical activity began centuries ago. It was, and still is, one of the primary means of quick healing for the martial arts. Most common sports injuries are Achilles tendinitis, ankle sprains, knee ligament injuries, rotator cuff injuries, tennis or golfer's elbow, hamstring/calf muscles injuries and acute back sprains. Injuries can be caused by trauma from sudden impact, or can develop over time often due to continual use of the same joints or muscle groups. Depending on each individual and the severity of the injury but generally, patients either report pain, limitation of movement or weakness at the injury site.
How does Acupuncture help?
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for Sports Injuries because it reduces pain, increases range of motion, decreases recovery and healing time, and strengthens weakened parts of the body. These effects are accomplished in several stages. Firstly, acupuncture reduces inflammation and relaxes the muscles to relieve pain and spasms. As a result, the range of movement will be improved gradually. Once the inflammation disappears, the main task of acupuncture is to increase more blood supply to the injury sites which facilitates the recovery of soft tissues. This is why acupuncture can relieve pain and shorten the recovery time significantly compared to other sport injury therapies.
When can I go for acupuncture if I have sport injury?
It is always a good practice to visit GPs first because for severe injury which you often need to have x-ray done. Otherwise, the sooner you have the acupuncture done, the less treatment you will require because prolonged inflammation encourages formation of scar tissues which is more stubborn to treat.
It is absolutely good idea to have acupuncture after surgery because it is not only help to recover faster but also help to gain back the range of movement closed to what it was naturally.