Muscle tears are no joke. Even though you’re far more likely to develop a muscle tear if you’re an athlete (especially if you fail to stretch properly before exercise), anyone can get a muscle tear. All it takes is stepping the wrong way, or even bumping your leg into the coffee table a little too hard. Torn muscles can be quite painful, and lead to redness, swelling, and reduced range of motion. If you’re suffering from a torn muscle, you may be wondering if acupuncture can help, and the answer is yes, it certainly can! But how does acupuncture for muscle tears work?
Acupuncture fights inflammation and swelling caused by a torn muscle. By boosting circulation, acupuncture stimulates the healing process. Acupuncture also triggers collagen synthesis, so you can maintain flexibility as your muscles heal.
What causes muscle tears?
A muscle tear occurs when a muscle becomes overstretched and develops breaks in the fibers. We often see muscle tears develop in the back, thighs, and calves, but you can get a muscle tear just about anywhere. The tear itself could be as small as a quarter inch in length, or it could be longer. The tear may be superficial, or cut deeper into the tissue, even down to the bone.
Muscle tears contribute to pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of flexibility. You may feel weak if you try to use the muscle and notice a reduced range of motion. Muscle tears are a severe type of muscle strain, usually with a longer healing time because the muscles have to sew themselves back together again, so to speak.
The pain from a muscle tear can radiate to surrounding areas. The spreading nature of the pain can lead to muscle spasms and muscle knots. Even though the tear may be small and localized, it can still cause a lot of trouble. And symptoms often worsen when people try to work through the pain, rather than giving the muscle time to heal.
Athletes and active individuals are at an increased risk of developing muscle tears, but, really, they can happen to anyone. Overuse, failing to warm up properly before exercise, or physical trauma to the muscle itself can all contribute to a tear.
Is acupuncture good for muscle tears?
A serious muscle tear can knock you off your feet, but acupuncture can help you get back in the game. Acupuncture works with the body to stimulate the healing process, and is incredibly helpful for treating a variety of musculoskeletal issues, including tears, knots, strains, and everything in between.
The first thing acupuncture does to help a muscle tear is encourage the surrounding muscles to relax. Tears can result from repetitive use. Affected muscles are usually hyperflexed, so acupuncture helps to release that tension and support normal muscle contractions.
Releasing muscle spasms results in near-instant relief, and once the needles are inserted, your acupuncturist may carefully manipulate the needles to stimulate blood flow. Oxygen and red blood cells are needed to make repairs, so increasing circulation to the injury site is essential. Better circulation also enables the body to reduce inflammation, swelling, redness, and bruising.
Acupuncture further aids in muscle recovery by stimulating collagen synthesis. Collagen is a major component of muscle tissue. Encouraging the formation of collagen helps the muscle heal not just more quickly, but also properly, without developing scar tissue or adhesions that could restrict your range of motion once the injury is resolved.
Acupuncture changes the way you perceive pain
Another one of the benefits of acupuncture is that it modulates the body’s pain response, raising your pain threshold to make your injury more bearable. As acupuncture needles are inserted, they trigger the nervous system and stimulate the release of endorphins, which act as a natural pain killer.
Endorphins are great for reducing stress. They enhance our well-being and play an important role in mood regulation. Endorphins also latch onto the nerve cells in the brain that receive pain signals. These neurotransmitters have a morphine-like effect that allows the body to handle pain naturally. So acupuncture will help your muscles relax, and your mind, too.
If you’re tired of switching between an ice pack and a heating pad and finding no relief, consider using acupuncture to treat your muscle tear. It can make all the difference in your recovery. In some cases, we may recommend adding other therapies, like cupping, electro-stimulation, or soft tissue mobilization to amplify the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and enhance results.
Can acupuncture help prevent muscle tears?
Acupuncture works on multiple levels to heal muscle tears, but it can even be used to prevent them from developing in the first place. That’s because acupuncture is both a treatment and a supportive therapy that works with your body to reduce inflammation and encourage healthy muscle function.
So often, muscle tears develop because of repeated stress and/or misuse of the muscle in question. Regular acupuncture sessions help improve muscle function. The better your muscles contract and relax, the more fluid your motions during exercise. Acupuncture helps keep muscles supple, so they stay flexible. Keeping your muscles limber allows you to retain your range of motion and build strength.
In some cases, we advise our clients to combine their acupuncture treatments with corrective exercise therapy. A kind of physical therapy, corrective exercise helps you identify which muscle groups you’re overusing and which ones you’re underusing. We use corrective exercises to help our clients rebalance their muscles so they can avoid injury in the future.
Book your first appointment today
At Lycoming Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture, we’ve helped countless clients overcome their muscle tears and get back to doing the things they love. We’re ready to help you, too, whatever your health and fitness goals may be.
Contact our office today to learn more about using acupuncture for muscle tears. When you book an appointment for your first visit, you can feel confident knowing that you’re finally taking charge of your health.
Get in touch today and discover the healing benefits that acupuncture has to offer!
