Today I have my first acupuncture appointment. I’m not one to knock the benefits of natural medicine, but something about strategically placing needles in my body is kinda weird to me.
Some brief research, and here’s some helpful info on how acupuncture can help heal an ACL:
-From the Lalli Care Clinic in Canada
Acupuncture can be a usefull tool to increase blood flow into the area of an injury which will improve the healing process. It also acts on pain receptors to decrease pain as a result of injury.
-From ProSportsHealing.com
Dr. Abdullah says accupuncture stimulates the immune system and is a natural pain killer. The doc also says there are three stages to recovery process: inflammation, repair and reconditioning.
Acupuncture has an anti-inflammatory effect–and I can use that about now. I’m still trying to deal with breaking up scar tissue. I figure I would give this a shot, besides, the insurance pays for it.
So I’m curious, what is your view on the acupuncture post acl surgery now that you have attempted it?
I just had my second surgery in 4 months on the same knee for a reconstruction ACL surgery and then the second to fix some things that were causing me complications after the first surgery. I am looking for something to help with the healing and the only thing I can think of is acupuncture.
Please let me know how yours went, I think it would be really interesting to get an idea before I head in to have mine done.
Thanks so much and the best of luck with your recovery!
Hi Murph!
Thanks for commenting! I only did accupenture twice, and this is how it went down:
Needles round the knee, needles in my scars, needles in my kneecap (hurts the most!) and needles in my inner ankles (to balance my yin and yang?) and a solo needle in the center of my forehead.
After all was set, I laid there for 15 minutes. It sounds weird, but I could feel the “energy” if you will flowing and funneling through me. At the end, I felt energized and the knee felt fine–not great, but it felt how it feels after the PT gives it a nice, long stretch. I’m actually going to try it again. This time it will be at a new place, so I will post about that, too. It’s worth a shot. Let me know how it goes for you.
Hey! Thanks for the reply. I go for my first session this Friday but I don’t think that my will be as intense (with the knee cap and scars) as yours because I actually still have stitches in and when I talked to the acupuncturist he told me that he would not start on my knee at this stage but would start around it to help the healing begin but that he doesn’t put needles into inflamed areas.
Good luck with your next session, hope it goes really well. I’ll keep you posted and please do the same.
How did your session go? I’m two years out of surgery but still having pain so I wanted to try acuputure.
My session went fairly well. I can’t really explain all of the details or accupuncture, but I would certainly suggest it. I went because my swelling wasn’t going down so well, but I know people go for many other reasons–pain being a big one. I found it very relaxing and energizing when I left. I think I only went twice, so I guess it was helpful enough for me. Certainly give it a try, and I promise it’s not half as painful as you think it will be. In fact, it’s not painful at all. Good luck with the pain!
Hey Sabrina,
, so he put them in my stress points too. I can say that if you do attempt it, the sticking of the needles REALLY is not bad, but occassionally they will hit a nerve but all it feels like is a small pressure and if you tell them then they will take it out and put it in again so that it doesn’t hurt, because you honestly won’t feel them when they are in. I only was able to go once because I have been on massive over time since, but I would suggest it. I mean it is supposed to be very good for swelling. I actually just got a weight machine and started working out at home on my own because that is all I have time for, but I wish you the best and if I find some magical cure I’ll let you know 
The session went pretty well. The acupunturist actually puts the needles in other places as well, like I apparently had more stress than I should have, who knew