Acupuncture For Runners

Acupuncture is another way of dealing with runner injuries

If you've never acupuncture before it is well worth investigating. Obviously not just anyone can start sticking needles all over your head and body so you'll need to visit a regulated healthcare professional. Many more physios now practise acupuncture than in previous years and rightly so. Research has shown it may be helpful for several pain conditions, including back, neck and knee pain and that it can increase energy levels.

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What is it?

Acupuncture is a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine. Fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or preventive purposes. The needles are inserted into specific places on the body and these are known as acupuncture points. Several points may be used during a typical session, depending on the number of symptoms you have. The needles may be inserted just under the skin, or deeper so they reach muscle. Once the needles are in place, they may be left in position for up to around 30 minutes. The needles used are usually a few centimetres long and very fine. They are single-use, pre-sterilised needles that are disposed of immediately after use.

Different types of acupuncture

Acupuncturists who follow more traditional/ancient Chinese principles focus exclusively on directing the flow of qi (pronounced “chee”), or energy, through the body. Modern acupuncture applies Western medicine, using needles to stimulate the body’s systems. It is common for a combination of both approaches to be used.

Another acupuncture approach treats myofascial pain. This is when muscles are stressed, strained or injured, they often form tight, painful knots, known as trigger points. A trigger point in one muscle can create pain in a different area of your body. Trigger point therapy is used to relieve myofascial pain by unknotting the trigger point using needles.

The benefits for runners

Acupuncture can quicken recovery times, help prevent injury, rebalance muscles, reduce stress and can help the body heal itself.

• Acupuncture can quicken recovery speeds

Acupuncture has been clinically proven to improve circulation. Increased blood flow to muscles and tissue leads to quicker recovery times. Acupuncture is especially helpful when it comes to increasing blood flow to ligaments and tendons, making it particularly beneficial for some of the most common runners’ injuries, including overexertion, strained muscles, and minor tears.

• Acupuncture can help prevent injuries

Runners can actually use acupuncture to help prevent injuries. Day after day of training training can lead to all sorts of challenges, as well as stress on the major leg muscles. Acupuncture promotes blood flow, joint relief, and muscle relaxation, so helping the muscles will be more primed for training and less likely to experience overuse and other types of deal with the ongoing pressure that they're put under. Running is tough on the body so the more options we have to reduce its impact the better.

• Acupuncture can rebalance muscles

Regular acupuncture therapy can help correct imbalances and rebalance muscles by relieving tension in the membranes around muscles. These imbalances are caused not only by too much running but by running the same route time after time. They will be cambers in the road at certain points that put pressure on one membrane around a muscle more than another. If you run the route the other way on alternative days it can help balance it out, but if you don't then imbalances can occur.

• Acupuncture can help relieve stress

One of the effects of acupuncture is improved blood flow. This leads to more relaxed muscles, less pain, and fewer instances of illness and as a result this means less stress hormones are produced. This then leads to relaxation and potentially a better sleep pattern and that can improve training performance. Various studies have shown that this impact can be maintained for up to four days after a session.

• Acupuncture can help the body heal itself

Acupuncture needles stimulate specific acupuncture points to activate and reinforce the body’s natural healing abilities. Acupuncture triggers an increase in the levels of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. One of its holistic healing benefits is to strengthen the body's immune system. Runners can be more susceptible to illness, particularly respiratory illnesses and infections due to the stress running can put on the body. Research has shown that regular acupuncture can prevent infections by increasing the flow of white blood cells.

Our view

In 2002, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report on acupuncture effectiveness. They identified 31 conditions for which acupuncture was proven to be effective and further 63 conditions for which there was at least some evidence that acupuncture could help.In 2017, authors of The Acupuncture Evidence Project, after reviewing thousands of trials, found moderate to high quality evidence of acupuncture effectiveness for 117 conditions out of 122 conditions studied.

Acupuncture is an evidence-based, safe and effective treatment for a wide range of health conditions. It has been used for over 3,000 years, and its popularity is increasing as more and more people experience its benefits. Acupuncture can be used to treat a single symptom or multiple symptoms at the same time. It can also be used for general wellness. It's not too expensive and generally speaking can be performed by your normal physio or at least one of their colleagues within the same practice. Don't rely on it to solve all your injury challenges, but treat it as an option.