Knee pain is uncomfortable enough, but vastus medialis pain is situated deep within the knee, causing intense, pulsating discomfort that’s almost impossible to relieve. Active individuals, especially runners, are at an enhanced risk of developing vastus medialis pain. If you struggle with this debilitating condition, you may have accepted it as a fact of life. But you don’t have to just deal with the discomfort. Acupuncture for vastus medialis pain can help you overcome inflammation naturally, improving your strength, stamina, and range of motion.
Acupuncture can be used to target tense, overflexed vastus medialis muscles, so they can finally relax. This provides you with all-natural pain relief. Over time, acupuncture restores proper muscle function so you can regain your flexibility.
What causes vastus medialis pain?
The vastus medialis is a long flat muscle that runs along the inner thigh, originating from the upper part of the femur and connecting to the border of the patella. This teardrop-shaped muscle adds stability to the knee and is one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps.
When the vastus medialis muscle becomes inflamed, it can cause deep-seated pain inside of the knee itself. Not only that, but vastus medialis pain can lead to weakness and instability, making it difficult to walk, climb a flight of stairs, or rise from a sitting position.
Like any other muscle, the vastus medialis muscles are susceptible to overuse. If you’re a runner, hiker, or cyclist, you’re much more likely to develop this type of pain. Many athletes confuse vastus medialis pain for knee osteoarthritis. But vastus medialis pain isn’t exclusively a sports injury. Manual laborers and other active people can experience vastus medialis pain as well.
An acute episode of vastus medialis pain can make it difficult to extend your leg and lead to knee instability during motion. The pain is also intense, originating from inside the knee and often radiating to other parts of the leg, a similar situation to sciatica. Patients who suffer from chronic cases of vastus medialis pain may experience a significant reduction in strength and range of motion over time.
Can acupuncture treat vastus medialis pain?
Studies show that acupuncture is highly effective for treating knee pain, whether you recently developed knee pain, or have been struggling with it for a long time. Acupuncture works with the body to address inflammation, bringing much-needed blood and oxygen to injured tissues. This works wonders because it stimulates healing naturally.
One of the reasons acupuncture is so effective is because, unlike pharmaceutical drugs, which simply mask your symptoms, acupuncture works with your body so it can heal itself. The increase in circulation to the needle site removes inflammatory cells from the area and gives your body the raw materials it needs to generate new healthy tissues.
As needles are inserted into corresponding trigger points, acupuncture stimulates the muscles, encouraging them to release tension. You’ll feel an almost immediate sense of calm as your body is finally able to relax. Getting your muscles to loosen up will go a long way toward improving your flexibility and range of motion.
On top of this, acupuncture also has a soothing effect on your brain chemistry. When you’re in pain, it’s easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Likewise, chronic mental stress can contribute to muscle tension, which can lead to painful musculoskeletal imbalances, including vastus medialis pain.
Because acupuncture promotes a sense of calm via the release of serotonin and endorphins, it can make you feel better inside and out after just a single session.
How many acupuncture sessions will you need to treat vastus medialis pain?
It’s hard to say offhand just how many acupuncture sessions you’ll need to treat your knee pain because every case is different. Simple cases of overstrain related to acute injuries are generally easier to treat. In these instances, we may recommend biweekly sessions for a period of 4 to 8 weeks to help you overcome your vastus medialis pain.
But for chronic cases, and/or cases that are influenced by other factors, like knee arthritis or tensor fasciae latae pain, we may advise you to undergo more aggressive treatment. Sometimes, old injuries are accompanied by scar tissue and adhesions that need to be manipulated to stimulate better healing.
In addition to acupuncture, we may also recommend other therapies to help you improve your results. Electrostimulation, orthopedic acupuncture, and dry needling allow us to target specific muscles that are under or overperforming, so we can bring your body back into balance.
We advise all of our active clients to consider acupuncture as a preventative measure. Acupuncture supports healthy musculoskeletal function, alleviating tension and knots, and keeping your muscles limber. Corrective exercise training is another helpful strategy that enables you to reach your peak performance by encouraging you to use your muscles properly.
Acupuncture restores musculoskeletal balance
In the grand scheme of things, even though they can be quite painful, acute vastus medialis sprains that are uncomplicated can be easy enough to treat with the right strategy. But if you try to ignore the pain and “power through”, you could end up doing a lot of damage.
If you don’t address your quad strain, this will not only compromise the injured muscles themselves, but it will also contribute to widespread musculoskeletal dysfunction in the future.
Untreated vastus medialis pain places additional strain on surrounding muscles, as you work to compensate for the original injury. It’s not uncommon for vastus medialis pain to result in foot pain, hip pain, and lower back pain.
A customized acupuncture treatment strategy will work with your body to address your vastus medialis injury, as well as any residual musculoskeletal dysfunction, so you can use all of your muscle groups properly. Over time, this helps restore flexibility, strength, and performance, all while reducing your risk of future injury.
Get in touch with us today
Interested in learning more about the many benefits acupuncture has to offer? Get in touch with our offices to learn more.
At Lycoming Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture, we’ll work with you to help you overcome your vastus medialis pain, and come up with a strategy that allows you to regain your strength and flexibility.
Book your appointment today to find out for yourself why acupuncture deserves all of the hype it gets these days. From your first visit, we’ll listen to your health concerns and help you come up with practical goals for the future.
