Why Physical Therapy and Acupuncture Together Improves Healing

If you struggle with chronic pain or long recovery from an injury, you should consider getting acupuncture together with your regular PT. Here’s why.

Recovering from a serious injury is no walk in the park. Whether it’s a road accident injury or a sports injury, the road to recovery is often long and grueling. Modern medicine is pretty effective for accelerating the healing process, but you should consider incorporating some Eastern medical practices for the greatest effect.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing practice. Chinese medical practitioners claim that acupuncture restores life force or “chi” as these medicine men put it. However, there’s a lot more to acupuncture than just medical beliefs.

You can use acupuncture together with western medicine practices like physiotherapy for faster and more complete healing.

In this article, we’ll explore how acupuncture in concert with physiotherapy can promote healing and mitigate chronic pain, especially after an injury.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture on the surface seems like a pretty scary and bizarre prospect. It involves plunging thin needles at specific points on the body.

How acupuncture works still baffles scientists even today. While some claim that it balances some of the body’s vital energy, others say the mechanism of acupuncture is more neurological. What’s, however, clear about acupuncture from science and testimonials is that it works.

Acupuncture can cure a broad range of diseases like blood pressure and even whooping cough. Apart from these diseases, acupuncture is great for mitigating and eliminating neck and back pain.

For this reason, medical practitioners recommend acupuncture together with physiotherapy to improve healing, especially after back and neck injuries.

Acupuncture Together With Manual Therapy: A Match Made in Heaven?

Manual therapy is a critical aspect of any recovery from serious injury. Manual therapy comes in many forms, but the most common are chiropractic sessions, massage therapy, and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is the most common of manual therapy.

While the benefits of manual therapy for recovery are manifold, you should consider adding some acupuncture to the mix to augment your healing process. Studies show that the combined effect of acupuncture and physical therapy significantly improved healing.

How to Combine Acupuncture and Physical Therapy for Improved Healing

Combining acupuncture with physiotherapy to promote healing and improve your general well-being isn’t as hard as you’d think. You may, however, need to find a licensed acupuncturist and a physiotherapy clinic.

Start with Physical Therapy

If you’re recovering from an accident, you may probably already have a physiotherapy routine in place. If not, here’s how you can create your own physiotherapy routine. After making a nice routine that works, you can then proceed to get acupuncture.

Making a Physical Therapy Routine

Before creating your physiotherapy routine, you should first consider visiting a physiotherapy clinic. These clinics have the professionals and equipment to give you the proper physical therapy.

If you can’t visit a physical therapy clinic, here’s how you can do your own physical therapy:

Typically, physical therapy varies with the type of condition or pain, but here’s a general overlay of how to do PT on your own.

1. Get All the Relevant Equipment

Physiotherapy is way better with a few pieces of equipment and some workout essentials at your disposal.  Start with a simple exercise bike or exercise ball before moving to sophisticated equipment like an electric muscle stimulator.

2. Learn the Exercises

With all the equipment at hand, you next have to learn how to use them. The internet is a great resource for learning all types of PT exercises and stretches. Choose the exercises that will seem beneficial to your situation.

3. Get a PT Partner

Have someone around during your PT sessions. Your PT partner will give you company and motivation during your physical therapy sessions. You may also need a partner to perform some exercises or stretches.

4. Download One or Two Physical Therapy Apps

These apps can’t compare to a licensed physical therapist, but they give these professionals a run for their money. There are PT apps for both iPhone and Android phones. These apps can help give you physical therapy practices, monitor your progress, or help you in your schedule.

5. Create A Program and Stick To It

All you have to do now is create a timed PT program that you’ll follow to the letter.  Ensure you give your PT sessions enough time but not too much to take up most of your time.

That pretty much sums up how you can make your own physical therapy routine at home. Remember, this routine should only be a last resort when you cannot visit a physical therapy clinic.

For delicate injuries and chronic pains, a physical therapy clinic is your best bet.

Move to the Acupuncture

Unlike physical therapy, you can’t do acupuncture on your own. In fact, in the US, only a licensed acupuncturist can perform acupuncture on anyone.

Acupuncture is a pretty delicate medical procedure. There is a huge difference between acupuncture and randomly plunging needles into someone’s skin. The latter almost always doesn’t end well.

When it comes to acupuncture, here’s what you want to do for a great acupuncture appointment.

1. Set Aside Time for the Acupuncture

You shouldn’t be stressed or overwhelmed before the acupuncture. For acupuncture to work best, you need to be calm and relaxed.

2. Gather All Supplements and Medications

Acupuncture works like a charm, but it certainly isn’t magic. So bring all the necessary medication and supplements to the session and inform your acupuncturist about these drugs. Acupuncture may not be suitable for you when under certain medications. To be safe, let your acupuncturist know about your medication.

3. Eat Well Before Your Appointment

Have a meal at least two hours before the appointment. Nothing too filling as it may cause discomfort during the appointment. You may feel a little lightheaded when you go for acupuncture on an empty stomach.

Acutherapy for Improved Healing and General Well-Being

Hopefully, you now understand how acupuncture together with physical therapy can improve your healing and eliminate chronic pain. Remember, nothing beats a physical therapy clinic when it comes to physical therapy.

Always check the licensing of the acupuncturist before booking an appointment. Don’t let just anyone pierce your body with needles. All in all, acupuncture combined with physical therapy is just what you need to shorten and enhance your journey to complete recovery or healing.

Don’t forget to check out our other articles for more insightful reads.