Acupuncture for Pain & Sports Medicine in NYC
How does Acupuncture help with pain?
Acupuncture helps with pain by increasing blood flow to the area, thereby increasing circulation, bringing nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood to the site of pain. It also helps to calm nociception, a technical term for how pain is perceived in the brain, thereby alleviating perceived pain levels even in one session . Needles are used both distally, and locally to help create flow of Qi and release blockages of energy, relax tight musculature and fascia and improve lymphatic drainage and flushing out of lactic acid and other muscle metabolites that can prolong and add to pain .
Trigger Points, Motor Points, & Dry Needling
Trigger Points are tight knotted bands of muscles that create a pain pattern. Motor points are where the motor nerve innervates the muscle and gives it motion. There is significant overlap between motor points, trigger points, and traditional acupuncture points. Dry needling as we’ve come to know it, is the act of needling into a tight band of muscles to activate and then relax a trigger point or knot. Acupuncture has been doing this for thousands of years in a technique called “ashi” needling. The difference between dry needling on its own and a mixed technique with an acupuncturist is a more integrative treatment that supports whole body healing, while also targeting areas of pain. Many licensed acupuncturists, including the providers here at DLW , are trained in both approaches and can combine trigger-point work (via electro-acupuncture) with traditional point selection for a more comprehensive and longer lasting result.
What Is Electro-Acupuncture?
For stubborn musculoskeletal pain, needles are placed directly into knotted areas, including trigger points and motor points. Those needles are then connected to a gentle electrical current. The added intensity of an electrical current being placed at an acu-point helps to bring new blood flow to the area, helps relax the muscle, and calms down pain signals in the brain.
How Electro-Acupuncture Helps With Pain:
Increases circulation to chronically tight or under-recovered muscle tissue
Releases deep, stubborn knots that don't respond to massage or stretching alone
Interrupts the pain signal pathway between the muscle and the brain
Often produces faster, longer-lasting relief than traditional acupuncture alone for musculoskeletal complaints
Conditions Electro-Acupuncture Can Support:
Chronic low back pain
Neck and shoulder tension
Sciatica
Frozen shoulder
Sports injuries and overuse strain
Tension-related headaches and TMJ