Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment used to reduce and relieve pain and to encourage healing. A physiotherapist can use it to treat:

Headaches caused by neck problems
Chronic pain
Muscle and joint aches and pains
Arthritis of many types including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Nerve compression and pain ( pinched nerve)
Sprains (ligament) and strains (muscle)

How does it work?

It involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin into specific points on the body near the pain site. These points have been discovered over centuries to respond to the needle stimulation. The needle may be inserted very shallow or deeper into muscle and nerve tissue depending on the problem. There is very little discomfort or none at all. The needles are very fine being one third of the thickness of a vaccination needle such as with the flu shot. Sometimes it may feel like a mosquito bite (we’re used to that!).

Once they are inserted the body’s nervous system produces a natural chemical called endorphins. It is a chemical that is more powerful than morphine and there are no side effects. Endorphins work to kill pain by blocking pain signals that are sent to the brain. The whole process is natural because it only stimulates an already natural process in your body.

Physiotherapists can also use gentle electrical currents to stimulate acupuncture points instead of needles. Such as with a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit that has rubber electrodes.

Is it safe?

Acupuncture is very safe and there are rarely any side effects such as a short period of nausea or light headedness. Only sterile and single use needles are used.

Does it work and how many treatments will I need?

What is interesting about acupuncture is that it is used successfully on animals such as horses. If it works on animals then the placebo effect is probably less. In other words, animals benefit from it without believing that it will work. The Acupuncture Foundation of Canada reports that 80 to 90 percent of patients report noticeable improvements. A physiotherapist is licensed by the College of Physiotherapists to perform acupuncture.

Acupuncture helps a large percentage of people but for the best success there are two important facts to remember:

The patient needs to be thoroughly evaluated by a licensed physiotherapist to judge whether it will be beneficial and safe. This needs to be evaluated ahead of time or acupuncture will either fail in the short term or the long term.
Acupuncture needs to be a part of an overall treatment program or the outcomes will be disappointing. That treatment program should include some or all of the following:
1. Specific exercises that are tailored to the individual. They may include flexibility, strengthening and postural exercises to mechanically improve how the injured area is working.
2. Education on proper body mechanics and posture.
3. Hands on therapy (manual therapy) aimed at improving the mechanics of the area and reducing pain.
4. Treatment modalities such as ultrasound, heat, and electrical therapy used to decrease pain and inflammation.

The number of treatments varies but for more acute injuries it may only take a few. For more longstanding problems it may take a few per week for a number of weeks to start to break the pain cycles. The needles stay in 15-30 minutes per session.

There are four physiotherapists that practice acupuncture at Corydon Physiotherapy. You are encouraged to discuss the potential benefits with one of them.

For further information please contact our clinic and you may visit the Acupuncture Foundation’s website: www.afcinstitute.com