Did you know that tendonitis is the most diagnosed chronic connective tissue disease in Western medicine? Tendonitis is also called repetitive motion disease, since it can occur after repetitive long-term movements as well as after an injury.
According to Western medicine, tendonitis is caused by inflammatory cells in the tendons that cause them to become irritated over time. In reality, tendonitis is caused by degeneration of the tendon fibers, causing swelling and increased pain.
With acupuncture, it is possible to regenerate damaged cells and ease pain caused by tendonitis.
Acupuncture for Tendonitis
Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system, triggering a relaxation response in the body and reducing tension in the muscles around the damaged tendons. This stimulation also releases endorphins, the body's natural pain-killers, to ease pain as the body heals itself.
Increased circulation from acupuncture treatment will also reduce localized internal inflammation caused by the damage to the tendons.
All connective tissues in the body are made with collagen. Acupuncture encourages tissue regeneration by increasing the body's production of collagen, healing micro-tears in the tendon fibers more quickly.
In studies of patients with tennis elbow (tendonitis that affects the forearm and causes pain in the outer elbow), standard acupuncture had an 83.3% total effective rate at treating pain.
Electroacupuncture, a more modern form of acupuncture where a light electric current is passed into the needles, has also been proven effective in treating tendonitis due to increased levels of collagen stimulation. In the same clinical study, electroacupuncture had a 93.3% total effective rate at reducing pain caused by tennis elbow.
In Western medicine, injections of corticosteroids are the most common treatment for tendonitis. Though it may relieve pain in the short-term, side effects include increased swelling, skin discoloration, and even tendon weakness, which can lead to more damage long-term.
Acupuncture is a natural way to ease pain while your tendons heal, with no damaging side effects!
If you are suffering from pain due to tendonitis and have difficulty with your daily activities, acupuncture can restore your pain-free function! Call us at (321) 972-2940 to schedule an initial health consultation today.
Sources:
Axe, J. "6 Natural Treatments for Tendonitis." Retrieved from https://draxe.com/tendonitis/
HealthCMI. "Acupuncture Heals Tennis Elbow, Stops Pain." (March 7, 2018). Retrieved from http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1832-acupuncture-heals-tennis-elbow-stops-pain
Kastner, M. "The Misdiagnosis of Tendonitis." Retrieved from https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2015/04/29/misdiagnosis-tendonitis