1. Get Amped
Electroacupuncture is the practice of connecting machine via thin wires to two needles creating a circuit, then passing a gentle current of electricity through the wire, the needles and the affected area of tissue. Electroacupuncture offers superior results for many soft and bony tissue disorders. The electrical current helps the cells to reorganize in an appropriate manner, reducing swelling, inflammation and pain.
Bone spurs, ligament and tendon tears, sprains, strains and even fractures can be treated effectively with electroacupuncture. There are two types of electroacupuncture, based on the equipment used: millicurrent and microcurrent. The difference is in the amperage. As the names imply, millicurrent machines deliver electricity in the range of milliamps, or one thousandth of an ampere, while microcurrent gives several orders of magnitude less amperage, providing electricity to the needles in the microamp range, or one millionth of an ampere. This amount of electricity is so small that it is barely perceptible in the milliamp range, and not noticeable at all in the microamp range. You may feel some gentle muscle contraction or tremor during the treatment at the very beginning. Ask your practitioner about how to get best results with electroacupuncture.
2. Go Long
The shaft, or penetrating part of the acupuncture needles, may be as short as a half inch, or as long as four inches. The one-inch or 25 mm size is most common. However, for treating problems deep below several thick muscles like a bone spur in the shoulder, needles as long as three or four inches may be used. It may seem frightening to think of a needle penetrating so deeply into the tissues. However, it is extremely safe in the hands of a qualified practitioner. Not only is it safe, these treatments can be very effective. By using a very long needle to penetrate into the site of inflammation and injury, the acupuncturist can direct a healing response and create beneficial changes such as reduced inflammation and the release of cytokines and other pain-relieving molecules. That said, sometimes an acute injury is too inflamed to be treated deeply on the first visit, so a more gentle approach may be best at first. Consider asking your practitioner for deep treatment in the area once the initial pain has subsided.
3. Get Fuel Injection
In many states, acupuncturists can inject a variety of substances into acupuncture points, including herbs, homeopathics and alcohol. The latter treatment is a science all its own, called prolotherapy. In prolotherapy, sterilized water and a small amount of alcohol or sugar are injected at the site of an injury to help stimulate a healing response. These types of treatments can be very effective, and are usually combined with exercises or physical therapy. These gentle movements causes the body to lay down new tissue in an organized fashion, rather than the random and somewhat chaotic arrangement of scar tissue. Prolotherapy can result in scar tissue formation, so check with your practitioner before embarking on a course of prolotherapy or other injection therapies.
