Reducing inflammation, improving muscle healing and mobility
Musculoskeletal acupuncture assists muscle and tissue repair in the case of sports injuries, whiplash and tendonitis. Local needling at the site of inflammation triggers the release of various chemicals, resulting in an anti-inflammatory effect, accompanied by a decrease in swelling and pain.
Restoring natural function
Whether secondary to traumatic injury, overuse or ongoing stress, acupuncture has the ability to restore tight, shortened muscles to their normal resting state and release painful trigger points and muscle spasms, and so improve joint and muscle mobility.
Acupuncture for back pain
Back pain is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their life. The pain can be triggered by bad posture, bending awkwardly, lifting incorrectly, overstretching or overuse, for example through sport or repetitive movements, leading to muscle strain which is the most common cause of non specific back pain.
Acupuncture provides pain relief and acts to release the areas where muscles are too tight and support or tone those that are weakened by disuse. The result is the muscles of the back revert to normal function and are better able to cope with our normal daily activities.
Acupuncture is recommended in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines as an effective treatment for chronic lower back pain.
Acupuncture for sciatica
The sciatic nerve is commonly subject to irritation in two places: first, at the roots of nerves exiting the spine at the base of the spine, and second, in the hip region where the sciatic nerve passes through a key structural balance point. Whether the inflammation results from deep spinal structures in the lower back pinching the nerve roots, or from deep rotator muscles of the hip (most frequently the piriformis) squeezing the nerve itself, symptoms can arise down the nerve pathway, from hip to foot.
Acupuncture is effective in the treatment of this common disorder by releasing the structural restriction in the form of tight muscular patterns and reducing inflammation.
Acupuncture for tendonitis
Generally, tendonitis develops when the stresses on a tendon overwhelm the body’s repair mechanisms. Any activity performed frequently with poor body mechanics will place stress on some structural weak link, often a tendon.
Acupuncture can help manage the pain of tendonitis and decrease inflammation of the tendon, easing movement restrictions to allow for a smoother, easier recovery.