Here’s how to make use of acupuncture for tennis elbow cure. Acupuncture is not something new- it has been in existence since the ancient times. Acupuncture can be very effective in treating this condition either as an adjunct to standard conventional treatment or on its own. According to Chinese medical theory, acupuncture works because humans have a natural flow of energy throughout our body which must flow without any restriction or blockage. First of all let us understand some of the common causes of this condition and its symptoms. The problem begins with a dull ache or tenderness on the outer part of the elbow. Gradually the pain intensifies and often restricts you from performing routine activities involving the elbow. Many a time you will experience a sharp jab even while doing simple task like shaking hands.
This condition occurs due to inflammation of tendons in your elbow. It is usually the result of overuse or repetitive movements that put extra pressure on the tendon. Constant stress on the tendon causes small tears, which the body tries to repair on its own. When we continue doing the activity that has caused the pain it actually slows down the natural healing process resulting in more tears and pain.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow cure is gaining immense popularity these days. Acupuncture works because all of us humans have a natural flow of energy throughout our body. Every cell in our body produces this energy. Whenever this energy gets blocked in one or more of the pathways, it creates pressure and causes pain.
While making use of this alternative therapy very fine sterile needles are inserted into specific points on the body. An Acupuncturist works to break up the energy blockages. By stimulating specific points, the energy can move smoothly, enabling the body to heal itself. Heat treatment and herbal medicines are often combined with acupuncture for tennis elbow cure.
If you suffer from tennis elbow and would like to use acupuncture, what can you expect during the treatment? Here are some information and tips for your reference:
1. Tennis Elbow Treatment Plan Be sure to do your research and see only a certified and experienced acupuncturist. He or she will ask you about your health history. The acupuncturist will check your pulse, examine your tongue’s shape, color and coating. Based on your health situation and needs, your acupuncturist will recommend a customised tennis elbow treatment plan for you.
2. Undergoing treatment The treatment is not painful. Approximately six fine needles will be used. The acupuncturist will gently insert the needles 10 to 15 millimetres into your muscle around the elbow region. One needle will also be inserted near your thumb. The needles are retained up to 30 minutes. You will generally feel better even after just the first session.
3. Number of sessions required The frequency and number of sessions needed will differ from person to person. As mentioned earlier, most patients have their tennis elbow problem resolved after an average of four treatments. Your acupuncturist will discuss the frequency and number of treatments when he or she recommends a treatment plan for you.
4. Cost Each session costs approximately a hundred dollars. Acupuncture is covered by some health insurance plans, but not all.
5. Side effects Serious side effects are rare. However, infection, swelling and scarring may occur. To minimise the occurrence of side effects, be sure to consult a certified and experienced practitioner.
Alternative Tennis Elbow Treatments That Work
Are you a tennis elbow sufferer but not happy with the tennis elbow treatment you where first given by your family doctor? Then you will be happy to learn that there are plenty of other alternative treatments you can try. Just talk about them with your doctor before changing treatment methods and they will be able to inform you which would be likely to work in your situation.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy has proven to be a wonderful therapy over the years for a multitude of conditions and problems and lately more and more massage therapists are looking into the techniques to help people with tennis elbow. The most popular massage technique is applying direct pressure to the affected area in a dosed and circular movement. The direct pressure motion will improve blood circulation and will relax the muscles the pressure is applied too.
However, this direct pressure technique might feel to painful for some patients especially on the onset of a tennis elbow pain flare in which case the massage therapy will have to stop.
Manual Therapy for Tennis Elbow
A trained professional who has been trained in dealing with tennis elbow must do manual therapy or what some call bodyworks. The whole technique is supposed to be a slow and soft and the idea behind it are to fully restore mobility by slowly mobilizing the whole elbow and improving the blood circulation. This technique is still fairly new when it comes to treating tennis elbow and results reported so far have been both positive and negative, so it is really up to the specific personal situation whether it works or not.
Acupuncture Therapy
Another unconventional treatment path is the one of acupuncture. Now these days most people have heard of this therapy but basically what happens is that small needles are stuck in specific points of the body, forearm or elbow to restore energy flows in the body. According to Chinese medicine, any pains and illness in the body is caused by blockage of this energy flow so it is up to the treating acupuncturist (always ensure you are dealing with a qualified therapist!) to locate these blockages and unblock them so that full flow is restored.
Aromatherapy for Tennis Elbow
Another alternative therapy is aromatherapy, which could be mainly used to relieve the pain by using natural anti-inflammatory essential oils that also have painkilling properties. Some people have combined it with direct pressure techniques, but softly rubbing the oils onto the skin could also give some form of pain relief. Again, it is important to ensure you are dealing with a professional aroma therapist
As you can see, there are quite some different alternative treatments but whichever you choose over conventional methods, make sure you talk with your family doctor first. Also, realize that no treatment is the cure all, and that some alternative treatments might not work or even in some cases worsen the symptoms, which is why it is important you are always dealing with certified specialists.
Relieving Pain With Tennis Elbow Acupuncture
Tennis elbow acupuncture is the use of Oriental medicine for an elbow injury. Often, this kind of treatment results from physical therapy because it is very effective is relieving the pain. Acupuncture is of Chinese Medicine origin wherein the treatment is being made by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the skin. In Chinese medicine, it is explained that pain is the result of a certain energy that cannot pass through out of the body and so the needles redirects the pain and blocks the pain signals from the brain. This kind of treatment has been familiar to most Americans but with little regard. Though, their recent studies show the effectiveness of this type of treatment.
Meanwhile, tennis elbow is a kind of injury that involves the degradation or inflammation of the tendons in the outer part of the elbow. It is causing pain in that certain part of the elbow that often radiates doe nth forearm, pain when you are trying to flex or straighten your arms, and pain when you do certain tasks such as lifting, grasping, gripping or twisting. The damage in the tendons is due to overexertion, repetitive movements and too mush muscle stress.
In physical therapy, acupuncture is one of the recommended treatments to eliminate pain. It has proved to be very effective. It has shown in most studies that patients who undergo acupuncture therapy get to be cured earlier than those who utilize other types of treatments. This treatment may be time-consuming but then it is found to work effectively without side-effects.
This treatment would start generally with two sessions in a week which can go on for a number of weeks. The frequency is reduced accordingly as you condition improves. This treatment is being done by using an acupuncture needles to be pricked at certain points in your skin. The points in your skin that was pricked is called the acupoints. Acupoints are stimulated to cure diseases through electric stimulation, herbal patches or heat lamps. These types of stimulation are vital for rapid healing. However, in manual stimulating of the acupoints, the needles are being pricked inside the points. The difference between them is that, for the electric stimulation, needles act as electrodes where the electric current will pass. While in the manual stimulating, needles itself are being pricked to the points that brings diminutive current in the skin which sometimes cause bleeding. Another type of stimulation is the herbal patch where burnt herbs are keeping over the points. But then, electric stimulation is commonly performed because herbal patch is a bit risky so most physicians do not perform this.
The healing process will start when the area is already stimulated. The pain that you are experiencing because of tennis elbow will be the degree of treatment that you will need as the treatment continues. The treatment is through when tennis elbow is cured.
Therefore, tennis elbow acupuncture therapy is far better than taking anti-inflammatory drugs or cortisone and a good way of relieving the pain without any side-effects.