Most people suffering with pain, sports injuries or postural issues will be familiar with seeing a physiotherapist or perhaps an osteopath or chiropractor. Fewer people are aware of the benefits of acupuncture for these kind of problems.
There are, however, specialised acupuncture techniques that are able to restore muscle function, strengthing weak, inhibited muscles and releasing and lengthening short, tight ones. These techniques involve stimulation of the motor nerves that send the signals to muscles to contract. This is accomplished using a precisely located acupuncture needles and some gentle, low voltage electrical stimulation. This will cause the muscle to contract involuntarily (an odd, but not painful, sensation). The result being that a previously weak muscle- determined by a muscle strength test- will now test strong. An exciting result for anyone who has felt this; they can suddenly exert a lot more force when they resist my pressure during the test.
Why does this matter?
Well in addition to co-ordinating movement, the muscles are responsible for a large portion of the job of maintaining the structure of the body. Joints like the sacroiliac (between the base of the spine and the pelvis) aren’t particularly well held together by their shape alone. They rely on the coordinated action of various muscles (myofascial slings) to hold the joint closed (force closure). When one muscle isn’t doing its job due to weakness, other muscles have to compensate. For example the Gluteus Maximus in the buttocks should stabilise the sacroiliac joint with the help of the opposite side Latissimus Dorsi (a muscle that runs to the shoulder). The Glutes can often become weak from too much sitting in modern life, which tightens the opposing muscle group- the hip flexors. So now when walking, the Lat is having to do more work to stabilise the sacroiliac joint which can lead to shoulder and back pain, faulty posture and poor athletic perfomance.
Even something like knee pain could be caused by faulty biomechanics. Though the pain might be on the inside of the knee joint and there may be a diagnosis of arthritis, medical meniscus tear or degeneration, the root cause could well be found higher up in the pelvis. The Glutes help to control the rotation of the thigh bone, so if they are weak the thigh can rotate inwards, putting uneven pressure on the inside of the knee joint. Over time this leads to pain and degeneration. Think of it like a car tyre that is wearing down on one side; you can keep replacing the tyres or you can correct the tracking of the steering so that the force is distributed properly over the tyre surface. In a case like this the glutes have to be strengthened to really resolve the knee issue.
By releasing the tight muscles and strengthening the weak ones, acupuncture can restore proper biomechanical balance, which will help to alleviate pain and enhance performance.
Get in touch to find out how acupuncture could help you.
Rob Veater, Licensed Acupuncturist, BSc(Hons.)
Tel: 07814785987