Treatment Spotlight:
Acupuncture Physical Medicine
for treating
Muscle Pain and Sports Medicine
Open Care Community practitioners are specially trained in Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM), a style of acupuncture combining traditional East Asian medical theory with biomedical orthopedics. APM is powerful in treating acute and chronic repetitive stress, sports medicine injuries and orthopedic conditions. Painful muscles are relieved using a combination of different modalities including trigger point release, electro-acupuncture, cupping, guasha & tui-na. The treatment modalities below, which are available in private sessions, are extremely effective at relieving muscle tension and bringing pain relief.
Modalities used in Acupuncture Physical Medicine
Trigger point acupuncture - also called trigger point dry needling, involves putting a fine needle into a muscle and manipulating it by hand to deactivate a trigger point, a stubborn taut band or a ‘knot’ in the muscle. When a muscle is “triggered”, a quick release of tension follows.
Electro-acupuncture involves running a low electrical current to areas of pain by hooking up the acupuncture needles to a Electric-Stim Machine. This allows a continuous steady stimulation of the needles throughout the treatment, promoting a gradual relaxation of the muscle and heathy blood flow to the area which hastens the healing process.
Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that involves creating suction on the skin with cups. The suction stretches the muscle, loosens the fascial adhesion and promotes blood flow.
Guasha, or sometimes referred to as ‘scraping’ involves the practitioner firmly stroking your skin in one direction using a smooth-edged tool to unblock areas of stagnation, increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.
Tui Na, is a form of traditional Chinese medical massage, often added on at the end of an acupuncture treatment.
