Acupuncture excels in the treatment of sports, work, auto accident rehabilitation, and post operative pain.
Injury & Post Operative Pain
If you have suffered an injury, want to avoid surgery, or would like to speed your recovery from a necessary surgery acupuncture can help. Usually an individualized treatment protocols that combines Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Exercises, Massage and Nutrition that maximizes your healing potential for a wide variety of conditions and syndromes including, but not limited to:
- Post Surgical Pain Syndromes
- Auto Accident Injuries
- Work Related Injuries
- Sports Injuries
- Orthopedic Surgeries
- Gynecological Surgeries
- Oral Surgeries
- Cosmetic Surgeries
Injuries occurring from sports, work or auto accidents and surgical interventions are due to trauma or overuse syndromes involving the musculoskeletal system and its soft tissues. Trauma to these soft tissues, including ligaments, tendons and muscles are generally the result from falls, blows, sprains/strains, collisions, compressions crushing and disruptions of the healing processes due to inflammation.
How Acupuncture Works
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, trauma disrupts energetic homeostasis and can cause both short and long term imbalances. Pain and dysfunction result from a blockage of energy (qi) and blood flow. TCM therapies function to remove these blockages. From a western perspective, TCM therapies decrease pain, decrease inflammation, promote healing and regulate the immune and endocrine systems.
It should be remembered that the rehabilitation of the injured is both physical and psychological. The physiological impacts of injury and surgery are similar. Both are traumas which can lead to pain, inflammation, swelling, digestive disorders and emotional changes. Many surgical patients suffer from pre-operative anxiety and post-operative pain, inflammation, nausea, constipation, vomiting, headache, and fatigue.
Post surgical pain syndromes and addictions to prescribed pain medications are also a contributing factor in physicians/surgeons making referrals to acupuncture.
The positive outcomes of acupuncture in an Injury Rehabilitation & Post Operative Pain Program include:
- Pain Management
- Decrease Inflammation
- Decrease in Pre-Operative Anxiety
- Reduction of Inflammation and Swelling
- Reduction of Nausea and Vomiting
- Regulation of Digestive Function
- Reduction of Need for Medication
- Reduction of Scar Tissue
- Decreased Healing Time
Increased Rates of Full Recovery
Pre-surgical & Post-surgical Preventive Care
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers pre- and post-surgical preventive care to reduce hemorrhaging, improve circulation, diminish pain and minimize inflammation.
Pre-surgical Preventive Care
Pre-surgical preventive care is considered for patients who plan to undergo surgery to help minimize damage from surgical incision and recover as quickly as possible from the operation. First, acupuncture therapy is used to relax the body and calm the spirit as the patient prepares for surgery. Second, acupuncture and acupressure are employed to strengthen the immune system by increasing white blood cell antibodies so the patient has less possibility of acquiring an infection.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can prevent the occurrence of heavy bleeding from surgery. Surgical incisions will cause loss of blood, but scientific research approved two major acupuncture points that can help blood platelet cells. Acupuncture treatment on these points can be used 36 hours prior to surgery to prevent heavy bleeding. Furthermore, four acupuncture points used for acupuncture anesthesia have been recognized by the Western medical community to help patients before surgery. Acupuncture anesthesia can effectively reduce the dosage of anesthetic medication. This is particularly important for pre-labor, if a pregnant woman decides on taking an epidural dose. By using acupuncture anesthesia, the dosage is lessened. In most cases, pre-surgical preventive care is administered two weeks before the operation for a total of three treatments.
Post-surgical Preventive Care
Post-surgical care helps the patient recover from surgery quickly through acupuncture, herbs, and acupressure. Traditional Chinese Medicine removes blood stasis in the body from the surgical procedure. TCM provides a three-day herb formula to be taken following the surgery. It can remove blood stasis, recover microcirculation, and help to heal scar tissue. The overall effects will reduce recovery time from surgery. Scars can be less apparent through the use of an herbal cream and acupuncture.
- Anesthesia detoxification: Post-surgical care can help with anesthesia detoxification. Acupuncture is applied to points on the head using scalp needles, and on the liver meridian to help accelerate anesthesia detoxification. Acupuncture detoxification can reduce damage to the liver and help the patient avoid damage to loss of memory and concentration.
- Energy strengthening: Any surgical procedure will damage or reduce the body’s energy. A patient often feels fatigue and exhausted after undergoing an operation. Two weeks after surgery is the best time to work on energy recovery. Acupuncture, acupressure, and herbs are provided to treat fatigue, insomnia, and strengthen body’s energy.
- Specialized post-surgical care: Post-surgical care varies depending on the type of surgery. For instance, in the case of thyroid surgery, acupuncture treatment has specific point on the neck to prevent discomfort when the patient swallows. For abdominal or pelvic surgery, stimulation of some acupuncture points can help remove gas and bowel movement. After kidney and bladder surgery acupuncture can help recover the strength to pass urine. There are some special acupuncture points to prevent edema after surgery for lymph node removal. Acupuncture can also work for disc surgery patients to make the area above muscle, tendon, and nerve recover strength and flexibility. In the case of facelift surgery when the incision is on scalp, people may get migraine headaches swelling on the scalp, neck pain and shoulder pain. Acupuncture treatment can help these symptoms and prevent skin from drooping again.
Pre-surgical and post-surgical preventive care is very important for all types of surgical cases. Patients should consult the doctor to make an acupuncture treatment plan because there are so many different conditions and symptoms to be addressed individually.
