The Benefits of Combining Acupuncture and Physical Therapy

Reduce pain and aid tissue healing quickly and effectively

Both acupuncture and physical therapy are known to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Many people think of these modalities as separate and unrelated, but when combined together, there are synergistic effects that can improve pain relief and provide lasting results for patients.

Learn about the benefits of combining acupuncture and physical therapy and the best way to use them together to reduce pain and aid tissue healing.

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy uses a combination of therapeutic exercises and stretches, massage, heat and cold therapy, ultrasound and warm water therapy to relieve pain, prevent and treat injuries, improve movement and mobility, and provide rehab post-surgery or after an accident or stroke. 

A physical therapist, also known as a PT or physiotherapist, is a licensed health professional who is a trained movement expert. A PT assesses the needs of their patient by taking a full case history and undertaking specific physical tests to determine the patient’s posture and their ability to move and do everyday movements such as grasping and bending. PT’s work with all age groups, from newborns right through to the elderly, and they create detailed treatment plans specific to the patient’s needs. This might be a combination of exercises, stretches and massage. 

How does Acupuncture work?

Acupuncture forms part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and involves the insertion of small, thin needles into specific acupuncture points on the body. It is a safe and effective modality that aims to bring the body back into balance by reducing inflammation, improving blood flow to organs and regulating hormone production.[1] [2] [3]

Acupuncture is highly effective for relieving pain , reducing stress and anxiety, boosting mood , releasing muscle tension, and aiding tissue repair and healing.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

After taking a comprehensive case history, an acupuncturist will assess the needs of their patient and undertake a series of acupuncture sessions which may also involve auricular (ear) acupuncture, scalp acupuncture or dry needling and trigger point acupuncture. 

What are the benefits of using acupuncture alongside physical therapy?

Combining acupuncture and physical therapy is an effective way to reduce pain and treat tissue injury quickly and successfully. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and releases muscle tightness and trigger points. When muscles are more relaxed and trigger points are released, the patient is better able to take in the manual therapy or exercise based physical therapy techniques. Acupuncture creates a window of time in which your body is able to perform better and it's during those times that improving strength and range of motion is most effective.  

When it comes to combining acupuncture and PT, Dr. Joel Giffin, PT, DPT, CHT, Founder & CEO of Flex Physical Therapy in New York City says, “as a physical therapist I find it easier and more effective to perform manual techniques after a patient has had acupuncture. The patient's body is in a state that is better available to receive the manual work. This then allows the muscles and joints we are working on to respond to become more functional, better aligned and stronger ultimately leading to reduced pain during the desired motion or activity.”

The benefits of using both therapies combined are:

• Better pain relief

• Increased range of motion 

• Less inflammation and swelling

• Quicker tissue healing and repair

• Improved capability to do physical therapy exercises due to pain reduction

• Less reliance on pain medication to manage symptoms

• More energy and improved mood 

• Better quality of life overall

One study demonstrated the use of acupuncture and physical therapy, both as standalone modalities and combined, for patients with frozen shoulder. Out of the 75 patients evaluated, 30 received acupuncture, 30 were treated with physical therapy and 15 received both treatment techniques. Results were determined by reduction in pain, improved range of motion and enhanced quality of life. Those who received acupuncture showed a marked reduction in pain and the physical therapy group showed increased range of motion as the main benefit. The patients who received acupuncture and physical therapy combined had the best outcome of pain reduction, increased range of motion and improved quality of life.[11]

Another study showed the effects of combined acupuncture and physical therapy on patients with tension-type headaches. Patients were split into two groups: (1) acupuncture and stretching, and (2) acupuncture, stretching and physiotherapy. Over a four-week period where they had ten treatment sessions, the group who received the combination of acupuncture, stretching and physiotherapy showed significant improvement in cognitive and psychosomatic pain measures, disability index and quality of life.[12]

Overlap between acupuncture and physical therapy

There is some overlap between the scope of practice between acupuncturists and physical therapists. Since they are both physical medicine approaches to treatment, that should be no surprise. Depending on the state or country that you are in, your PT may be able to do some things an acupuncturist can do, and your acupuncturist may be able to do some things a PT can do.

Here are some common techniques that may be employed by both an acupuncturist or physical therapist

• Cupping

• Gua sha or graston technique

• Heat therapy

• Dry needling

• Manual therapy

• Corrective exercises

Can you do acupuncture with physical therapy?

Acupuncture and physical therapy complement each other extremely well. Acupuncture focuses on reducing physical tension and trigger points while calming the nervous system, while PT helps to strengthen and restore healthy movement patterns.

Here at Morningside Acupuncture, we recommend starting acupuncture treatments at any phase during getting physical therapy with your PT. Ideally, you would start them together - as this will allow time for your muscles to become more relaxed and to reduce pain and inflammation while commencing exercise therapy.

Manage pain and tissue injury naturally

Combining both acupuncture and physical therapy is an effective way to reduce pain and inflammation quickly and maximize your body’s healing response. Acupuncture improves your body’s capability and capacity to do the physical exercise it needs to do improve movement and mobility. Speak to one of our experienced acupuncturists today to learn how you can use acupuncture alongside physical therapy to improve your health.  

Over to you

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References

[1] Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysfunction, and Pain: A Psychoneuroendocrine Rationale for Stress Management in Pain Rehabilitation

[2] Acupuncture and Its Role in the Treatment of Migraine Headaches

[3] Acupuncture blocks cold stress-induced increases in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in the rat

[4] Neural mechanism underlying acupuncture analgesia

[5] Anti-inflammatory actions of acupuncture.

[6] Role of acupuncture in stress management

[7] Acupuncture for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

[8] Acupuncture for Treating Anxiety and Depression in Women: A Clinical Systematic Review

[9] Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now: A Historical and Scientific Perspective

[10] Connective tissue fibroblast response to acupuncture: dose-dependent effect of bidirectional needle rotation

[11] A study on the clinical effects of physical therapy and acupuncture to treat spontaneous frozen shoulder

[12] The effect of physiotherapy and acupuncture on psychocognitive, somatic, quality of life, and disability characteristics in TTH patients