Bullet Points for the Busy Orthopedic Surgeon: How Acupuncture Can Help Your Patients

A Quick Look at How Acupuncture Works

Current research shows that during acupuncture, mast cells around acupuncture point degranulate and release ATP and adenosine activating receptors on nerve endings. These nerve endings transmit signals to the brain and nervous system and to the brainstem and hypothalamus affecting autonomic function. The effects of acupuncture casts a wide net. It can affect:

• Heart rate variability (thereby affecting anxiety)

• Perception of pain (through it’s action on the limbic system)

• Pain and hypersensitivity to pain (though activation of endogenous opioid systems and other biochemicals released)

• Connective tissue through mechanotransduction. The manipulation of the needles can generate both changes within the architecture of the tissue, but also induce signaling and communication. Think re-establishing proprioception post-surgery or in something like chronic ankle instability, etc. and increasing range of motion.

How Acupuncture Can Help Your Patient

• Reduces pre-surgical anxiety/stress

• Reduces pre- and post-surgical pain

• Scar treatments for pain generating from the scar site

• Decreases recovery time by increasing blood flow and movement of fluids/reduction of swelling

• Decreases use of pain killers

• Increases ROM

• Re-establishes proprioception and communication in the tissue post-surgery to better integrate the changes and amplify the effects of their PT sessions

• Referral to you, when patient comes to me first with pain