In this introduction to acupuncture treatment for injuries, the term injuries can be taken to include all physical trauma, whether caused by playing sport, accidents, falls etc. On the sports front in particular, acupuncture is used by the British Olympic team, the British Rugby team, many Premiership football teams, and other top sportsmen and women, because it allows people to return to training more quickly than would otherwise be possible.

Injuries are of two broad types:

(1) Acute injuries result from sudden incidents eg. spraining your ankle walking over uneven ground, being badly tackled in football, or suffering a whiplash injury when hit from behind in a car. These benefit from prompt assessment, and a few acupuncture sessions spaced closely together and started as soon as possible, can be extremely helpful.

(2) Chronic injuries on the other hand, have persisted for weeks or months, and usually result from the repetitive application of forces to the same part of the body; tennis elbow would be an example from sport, but there are many occupations which require repetitive movements or use of a particular tool or body joint all day long. These injuries essentially stem from overuse and/or overload of the affected area, so rest is a crucial component of treatment. Acupuncture in this case may be required for a little longer, depending on the severity of the condition, but sessions can be more widely spaced, say a week apart.

Research shows acupuncture can promote the healing of injuries by providing pain relief, breaking down scar tissue, and reducing swelling, bruising and inflammation. In the sports arena, it has also been shown to promote more rapid recovery after training sessions.

Below, you will find a selection of research papers, which have looked at the usefulness of acupuncture for injuries.

Researchers in Taiwan have found that acupuncture can reduce blood lactic acid and enhance recovery from muscle fatigue after exercise.

Thirty male basketball players were randomly assigned to three groups, acupuncture, sham control, and no treatment. After exercising to exhaustion, the acupuncture group had significantly lower heart rate, oxygen consumption and blood lactic acid than the other two groups, at thirty minutes after cessation of exercise. Blood lactic acid also remained lower in the acupuncture group, after sixty minutes.

(Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation on Recovery Ability of Male Elite Basketball Athletes. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2009.)

In a prospective study of twenty male cyclists, participants rode a stationary bike three times a week for 20km as fast as possible. Before each ride, they were given either acupuncture, sham acupuncture as a control, or no intervention, once each and in a random order.

Cyclists receiving acupuncture before their ride, achieved greater levels of exertion and faster cycling times, and experienced less pain.

(The Acute Effect of Acupuncture on 20km Cycling Performance. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2008 January.)

An observational study conducted on female swimmers, has found that acupuncture improved exercise tolerance, increased haemoglobin and blood glucose concentrations, and promoted quick recovery. The authors concluded that acupuncture can delay the appearance of sports fatigue.

(Impact of Acupuncture Applied to Sanyinjiao on the Movement Ability of Female Athletes. Int Journal of Clinical Acupuncture 2007.)

Researchers have undertaken a randomised controlled trial to asess the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating shin splints (tibial stress syndrome). Forty athletes with shin splints were divided between three treatment groups: standard sports medicine, acupuncture, and a combined group which received both. Patients received a minimum of two treatments per week for three weeks.

The acupuncture and combined groups reported significantly lower pain levels during all activities and at rest. For overall effectiveness, acupuncture was rated at 72.5%, combined therapy at 54.5%, and standard sports medicine at 46.5%. Self-medication with anti-inflammatories was also significantly lower in the acupuncture and combined groups.

(Acupuncture & Tibial Stress Syndrome [Shin Splints]. Journal of Chinese Medicine 2002 vol 70.)