Repetitive Stress and Injuries
Tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder – we hear these complaints more and more these days. Repetitive strain injuries, most often related to the kind of work a person is doing, are the major cause for tendonitis today, with neck, shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries being the most commonly occurring injuries. Tendonitis is a common complaint in people working in professions such as hairdressing, massage therapy, and very common among sportspersons as well. Anyone who works on a computer for an extended period of time is susceptible to tendonitis of the wrist. Recent study shows very positive results regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for tendonitis, with many patients reporting a significant reduction in pain and inflammation, for their particular condition. Since tendonitis, in many cases, poses a threat to one’s ability to continue to work, acupuncture brings peace of mind as well as relief, as patients are able to return to their normal lifestyle without chronic pain and motion limitation.
How Acupuncture Works for Tendonitis
Acupuncture for tendonitis works by increasing the circulation around and to, a tendon. Patients suffering from tendonitis have the inner tendon fibers degenerated due to constant wear and tear. Acupuncture helps by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen supply to the affected area, thereby increasing tendon cell growth, which is very important to the process of healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnoses tendonitis as the stagnation of qi (life energy) and blood in the associated channels. The concept of acupuncture is in moving this qi and blood to assist in healing. A few studies conducted recently show that acupuncture for tendonitis, when combined with treatment such as electro-stimulation, shows excellent results in healing of tendon fibers, compared with healing through rest alone. The usage of Chinese herbal tape and ointment, when applied along with acupuncture, has further proved effective in the treatment of tendonitis in the elbow, hand, neck and shoulder areas.
Acupuncture: Treatment or Placebo?
Whether acupuncture is a bona fide method of treatment or simply produces a placebo effect? However, research has proven that acupuncture does deliver results, although these may vary slightly from person to person and also depend on how chronic the tendonitis is. Studies comparing true and sham acupuncture have concluded that acupuncture is indeed more than a placebo and has a significant role in tendonitis treatment.
Millions of people in the US are now opting for acupuncture for tendonitis treatment, and the trend continues to be popular as we see gadget usage increases year after a year. With no side-effects, and with its cost-effectiveness, acupuncture is steadily catching on as a proven way to combat the pain and inflammation caused by tendonitis and is positioned to play a major role in the treatment of this prevalent condition. For those suffering chronically from the pain of Achilles tendonitis or tennis elbow, acupuncture is a ray of hope in getting back to a pain-free life without sacrificing the motion range.
Boca acupuncture clinic offers a special acupuncture protocol to reduce the inflammation in the tendons, and then strengthen the muscles around the joints by electrical stimulation. Before you jump into surgery, you should try acupuncture for 12 to 24 treatments. You will be surprised that how acupuncture can help you resume the normal function of your tendons.