While many people think of acupuncture care for holistic purposes, the reality is that this form of treatment is valuable in numerous areas. It’s even a common treatment for some of the most frequent sport or activity-related injuries out there, one of the most well-known of which is the sprained ankle.
At Advanced Holistic Center, we’re proud to offer the very best acupuncture services in the Financial District, New York City area. Our acupuncture solutions are effective for a huge range of issues, from immune or nervous system concerns to many skeletal systems — including various sprains or strains that you may have experienced. What are the varying types of ankle sprains and other related injuries you may experience, and how does acupuncture help with treatment? Here’s a primer.
Ankle Injury Types
When ankle injuries are being treated, the specifics of treatment will typically depend on the specific injury type — which ties back to the type of tissue that’s been damaged. The ankle contains bone, ligament and tendon/muscle, and which tissue has been compromised will determine the course of treatment.
The ankle sprain, where ligaments have been partially or completely torn, is a common injury where acupuncture can help. Also common is the ankle sprain, which refers to tendon or muscle fibers being overstretched or torn. The most serious of these is the high ankle sprain, which refers to a rupture of the ligaments situated at the very top of the foot around what’s known as the talus bone — this injury can be particularly debilitating because it requires surgery for proper healing. Sprains and strains are graded on a scale, with Grade 1 representing under 10% of the tissue torn, Grade 2 representing 10% to 90% torn, and Grade 3 representing anything above 90% (including a full rupture).
Acupuncture Benefits
For any of these injuries, including all grades of ankle sprain, acupuncture has been shown in studies to be an effective treatment. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine published a study in 2010 that followed patients with Grade 1 or 2 ankle sprains, using acupuncture alongside traditional physical therapy treatment with compression stockings and exercises to treat the injury.
Their results showed that acupuncture was able to increase range of motion for these patients substantially more than physical therapy alone did — in fact, patients who were treated with acupuncture showed a full 50% more improvement than the control group did, validating acupuncture’s effectiveness for this type of injury. There are dozens of other studies that have shown similar results.
If you’ve recently suffered a sprained ankle or any similar injury, speak to our team about your acupuncture options. For more on this or any of our holistic medicine services in the Financial District, NYC area, speak to the staff at Advanced Holistic Center today.
