Acupuncture is one method used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, a system of healing based on the balance and free flow of vital energy, also known as 'qi'. A skilled acupuncturist will employ this alternative modality to treat a range of illnesses and reduce pain. If you suffer from soreness, the right acupuncture treatment may relieve the discomfort substantially. The treatment itself is fairly unlikely to cause soreness or irritation. Consult with your doctor before seeking treatment.
Acupuncture for Pain
A major application of acupuncture in the west is to manage or reduce pain symptoms, including soreness. The 2007 National Health Interview Survey found that, of the 3.1 million Americans who used acupuncture in the previous year, seven of the most commonly treated conditions were pain-related, including back pain, joint pain and neck pain. According to a 2009 survey of research on acupuncture's effects on pain, those who sought acupuncture reported less pain than those who received no treatment. However, subjects who received "sham" or placebo treatments also reported slightly less pain.
Acupuncture to Relieve Soreness
Acupuncture heals the body by restoring the flow and balance of vital energy. The acupuncture points a practitioner stimulates depends on the nature of the illness or condition and the corresponding energy pathways, or meridians, that are affected. Depending on the nature of your soreness, your treatment may vary widely. Don't necessarily expect to have needles applied to the parts of the body where you experience the soreness; While a deficiency in the kidneys will cause pain and tenderness in the back, to restore kidney health a practitioner may stimulate points all along the kidney meridian, a line which runs all along the torso, through the leg and down to the foot.
Acupuncture and Sore Throats
If your soreness is actually a hoarseness or tingling pain in the throat, acupuncture may still relieve your discomfort, though the practitioner will use a very different approach than that used for muscular soreness. Depending on the cause of the sore throat, your acupuncturist may need to balance a yin deficiency in the lung and kidney or to clear wind and heat in the lung and large intestine channels.
Soreness as a Side Effect
One advantage of acupuncture treatment is the relatively low incidence of side effects or interactions with other medications. However, minor side effects of the treatment sometimes occur, typically including slight pain, soreness, bleeding or bruising where the needles are inserted. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 showed that only 1 in 10,000 acupuncture consultations resulted in negative side effects. Of the treatments that resulted in negative side effects, over 95 percent of the cases cleared up completely within two weeks.
References
- "MayoClinic.com;" Acupuncture: Definition; December 2009
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture for Pain
- "Clinical Manual of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture;" Zhong Ying Zhou; 1997
- Ying Yang House: Kidney Meridien - Graphic
- "MayoClinic.com;" Acupuncture: Risks; December 2009
- "British Medical Journal;" Adverse Events Following Acupuncture; Adrian White; May 2001
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