Acupuncture is a healing art that uses thin needles to apply pressure to specific points of the body, based on the theories of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). By applying pressure to particular points, TCM holds that energy channels throughout the body can flow freely, restoring balance and alleviating disease. While the TCM model differs dramatically from Western medicine, various scientific trials have found benefit from acupuncture treatments, especially in pain relief for issues such as sore ankles. Before seeking acupuncture treatment, consult with your primary health-care provider.
Acupuncture Basics
To relieve the symptom or cause of ankle pain, an acupuncturist may stick needles into completely separate parts of the body, such as the back, arms or even the head. The reason for this is that TCM views various organs and body parts as fundamentally interconnected. Disease signifies an interruption in 'qi', or vital energy, which flows freely throughout a healthy person along pathways known as 'meridiens'. Using acupuncture, a practitioner identifies the imbalance in the body that is causing the ankle soreness and remedies the situation by triggering specific points along specific meridiens. Balance also is understood in terms of 'yin' and 'yang', two complementary and opposing forces, and in terms of five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood.
Acupuncture for Pain
Acupuncture is designed as a system for restoring health, and its applications cover the spectrum of diseases. However, one of the most widely accepted uses of acupuncture is not as a treatment for disease but as a means of ameliorating painful symptoms. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture has offered varied degrees of relief to the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraine, menstrual cramping and pains after operations. Joint pains, including tennis elbow and osteoarthritis, have been successfully abated through acupuncture.
Acupuncture and Western Science
A general scientific assessment of acupuncture is somewhat difficult because of the varied conditions used among different studies. Many investigations compare acupuncture with "sham" acupuncture to measure the effectiveness of the placebo effect. In a 2009 review of research on acupuncture for pain relief, the placebo proved more effective than no treatment, but less effective than real acupuncture. According to Mayo Clinic, scientific trials also indicate that acupuncture's effectiveness varies according to the patients' expectations.
Types of Ankle Pain
Whether acupuncture helps ankle soreness may depend on the underlying cause of the pain. According to a 2002 study published in the medical journal "Pain," acupuncture served as a significant analgesic among rats with sprained ankles. If ankle soreness is the result of a chronic problem such as osteoarthritis, acupuncture may be helpful. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Therapy, the modality appears effective in relieving arthritic pain, but further research is necessary.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Acupuncture
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture and Pain
- "Pain"; Acupuncture Analgesia in a New Rat Model of Ankle Sprain Pain; S.T. Koo, et al.; October 2002
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