Why has my Physiotherapist recommended using Acupuncture in my treatment plan?

If you’ve visited a Physiotherapist before it’s likely you’re familiar with many of the well-used techniques and treatment options they offer, such as hands-on massage or manipulation, supported movement and stretches or exercise advice and demonstration to name a few.

Many Physiotherapist’s also take on post-graduate training to qualify in the practice of Acupuncture and use it to effectively support their other treatment tools to improve function, reduce pain and improve range of motion. When you think of acupuncture you may simply assume it means inserting needles, but Traditional Chinese Medicinal Acupuncture (TCM) is very different to the practice of ‘Dry needling’ and your Physiotherapist may use a combination of the two, or only be qualified in one kind.

Why use acupuncture?

The Acupuncture Association for Chartered Physiotherapists explain that “acupuncture is one of the many skills used within physiotherapy as an integrated approach to the management of pain and inflammation and as a means of stimulating the body’s own healing chemicals in order to aid recovery and enhance rehabilitation.” 

“It is used against the background of clinical and research evidence. The concept of TCM is an ancient system of written scripts as far back as 1000BC, founded on the holistic concept of treatment and an acknowledgement of the body’s ability to return to its balanced state of health, given the correct stimulus to do so. In Physiotherapy, acupuncture is used as a means of enhancing pain modulation via the stimulation of the brain and spinal cord to produce natural pain relieving chemicals, such as endorphins; melatonin to promote sleep, serotonin to promote well being, to name but a few. These assist the body’s healing process and offer pain relief as a precursor for other manual or exercise therapy.

Acupuncture is also used by Advanced AACP members as a means of addressing some systemic and longer term illness, but always with the aim of enhancing physiotherapy treatment and improving the quality of life.”

To become an accredited member of the AACP  your Physiotherapist will have completed a postgraduate 300 hour foundation course consisting of theoretical and practical training and assessment and is required to meet the requirements of the AACP to maintain biannual professional development and training in order to maintain their registration. 

How is it different to Dry Needling?

Acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine, while dry needling is rooted in Western medicine which focuses on objective assessment of your posture, movement impairments, function and consider the irritability and nature of your pain alongside specific orthopedic tests.

Dry needling treats muscle tissue, and its goal is to reduce pain, reduce specific areas of tension in a muscle and restore function. You may associate your pain with a ‘knot’ in your muscle, and this is often what the treatment will aim to resolve. Usually it is used in combination with massage or joint mobilisation to improve range of motion and function in a particular area of the body.

Currently, there is no governing body that monitors the use of dry needling, and the training for practitioners is less extensive than that of TCM. 

Where’s the evidence?

Physiotherapist’s are bound to guidelines which ensure we only provide treatment which has been ‘clinically reasoned’ and is ‘evidence based.’

The AACP provides an extensive list of current evidence supporting the use of Acupuncture in Physiotherapy, for example:

– A 2012 UK study of a number of research projects on acupuncture for osteoarthritis in the knee concluded amongst others: “…most studies were of acupuncture (11 trials) or muscle-strengthening exercise (9 trials); both interventions were statistically significantly better than standard care, with acupuncture statistically significantly better than muscle-strengthening exercise…” and 

“…acupuncture can be considered as one of the more effective physical treatments for alleviating osteoarthritis knee pain in the short term.” 

– A study on Acupuncture for Patients with Chronic Neck pain from 2006 concluded: “Treatment with acupuncture added to routine care in patients with chronic neck pain was associated with improvements in neck pain and disability compared to treatment with routine care alone.” 

What happens in an appointment?

If you decide that you’d like to try acupuncture as part of your physiotherapy treatment then your Physio will first take a full medical history and may ask you to complete a consent form. It’s a good idea to eat and drink something at least 1-2 hours before your appointment.

The treatment itself will depend on your condition but will involve using one or more needles inserted into the skin in specific points chosen by your physiotherapist to address your symptoms. 

The needles may be left in place for up to 30-40 minutes, and you will be asked to try to relax during the session. Occasionally your Physiotherapist may stimulate the needles if they feel it is necessary to do so. They will regularly ensure that you feel comfortable throughout your treatment, and you can ask to remove some or all of the needles before the end of the session if you don’t. 

Once the needles have all been removed you’ll be advised to rest for a few minutes before you leave. 

Depending on the nature of your condition or injury you may require some follow-up sessions, or you may achieve the desired response after a single treatment. Your physiotherapist will discuss this with you prior to your session so you can make an informed decision about whether to proceed. 

For further information about the use of acupuncture in physiotherapy do visit https://www.aacp.org.uk/ where you can also find a local accredited practitioner.