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 . . . → Read More: Injuries]]>

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. Chris Hoy, Olympic cycling champion, has used acupuncture for both injury treatment and prevention. In the military arena, a full-time acupuncture consultant now reports to the US Air Force Surgeon General, ensuring use is made of all the experience gained by the USAF using acupuncture to help with injuries sustained during campaigns in recent years.

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.

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 . . . → Read More: Acupuncture Enhances Recovery from Exercise]]> 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.)

Cyclists receiving acupuncture before their ride, achieved greater . . . → Read More: Acupuncture and Athletic Performance]]> 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.)

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