Slips, falls, twisted ankles, and sore backs—injuries happen to everyone. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer effective treatments to reduce pain, promote healing, and restore balance to the body.
The way an injury presents often depends on how long it has been since the injury occurred and the stage of the healing process. In this article, we’ll explore how acupuncture and Chinese medicine address injuries during the three key stages of recovery: acute, subacute, and chronic.
Table of Contents
Acute Stage of Injuries
Acute stage injuries, also known as the inflammatory stage, are usually within the first 1-7 days of the injury. During this phase, damage to tissue and blood vessels will lead to the major signs of inflammation–swelling, redness, and pain. The area may even feel hot to the touch.
The blood vessels and other tissue were damaged when the injury occurred resulting in reduced blood flow and pain.
Our bodies then proceed to go into repair mode and start flooding the area with even more red and white blood cells in order to clean up the damaged tissue. All that congestion will lead to the signs of inflammation and the swelling that results is the body’s way of stabilizing the area.
The problem with this is that prolonged swelling can actually hinder the healing process by restricting blood flow, limiting oxygen and nutrient delivery, and slowing the removal of waste products. Acupuncture and herbs can address the swelling and reduce inflammation to support efficient recovery and restore proper circulation to the injured tissue.
Treating Acute Stage Injuries with Chinese Medicine.
During the initial stage of injury stage, the primary focus of treatment is to reduce Qi and blood stasis and reduce heat by promoting proper circulation and cooling the inflammation. Qi flows through meridians on the body which contain specific acupuncture points that help regulate its flow. When Qi becomes blocked—such as in cases of congestion—it can lead to pain, inflammation, and injury.
For orthopedic injuries, this blockage often manifests as pain and swelling. Acupuncture is a powerful tool to address these issues, as it not only restores the flow of Qi but also reduces inflammation. Studies show that acupuncture can effectively lower levels of inflammatory proteins which will help the healing process (1).
Acupuncture points may include local points which are close to the area of injury, as well as distal points targeting the body’s fascial connection to surrounding tissue as well as along the meridian pathways.
Wet cupping along the meridian, not on the injured area, is very useful for quickly improve circulation, relieve pain, and reduce swelling as well as inflammation
Herbal medicines can be used during orthopedic injuries both internally and topically. Heat is a big component to the initial stages of injury. Therefore, cooling medicinals that can reduce heat and improve circulation should be applied topically.
While ice is a common home remedy and it can be useful during acute stages of injury, it should not be used for a prolonged period of time. Ice can temporarily reduce inflammation, but Cold in Chinese Medicine is known to congeal and slow down the circulation of qi and blood, thereby creating more stagnation in the long run. If cold invades the joint, later on the injury may be more susceptible to acting up in cold-damp environments such as the winter months.
A good alternative to ice is San Huang Gao (Three Yellow Plaster) plaster,also known as herbal ice. It contains a mixture of chinese herbs that are cooling without the negative side effects one might experience from using ice.
Second Stage of Healing: Subacute
The subacute stage of injury starts 1-2 weeks after the initial injury and can last for up to three weeks after the initial injury. This phase is also known as the repair/regeneration phase because the body shifts its focus from cleaning up the damaged tissue to rebuilding the tissue that was lost. Satellite cells and fibroblasts focus on the repair and maturation of damaged muscle and connective tissue (2).
During this stage the inflammation, swelling, and feelings of heat will be less, while there may be increased stiffness and a reduced range of motion.
Treatment in this stage will shift away from cooling inflammation towards a focus on removing the stasis of Qi and blood. Techniques like Gua sha may start to be implemented during this stage. Gua sha is when we scrape the body with a tool in order to bring about petechiae. This petechiae is called “Sha” and can be loosely translated as stagnant blood. Together the words Gua sha can be loosely translated to “dredging meridian stagnation” (3)
Herbal soaks can be used here as well. Since there will be less inflammation and heat, the herbs will be slightly warmer in nature.
Chronic Stage of Injuries
If the injury has progressed properly through the acute and subacute stages (i.e. proper treatment was performed during both stages), after 4-6 weeks the injury can be considered to be in its chronic stage. Swelling and inflammation will be gone and the focus of treatment will be to reduce any residual stiffness and pain. The areas still affected will most likely be joints because tendons and ligaments do not have a dedicated blood supply like muscles do, so they will often progress more slowly through the healing process.
Warming methods should be used to increase circulation to the area. Moxibustion is a treatment where an herb called Mugwort is burned on the surface of the skin. Traditionally, it is used to both tonify and warm acupuncture points to improve qi, qi flow, and blood circulation to an area. Herbs that are warmer in nature can also be used in liniments and soaks.
Recovering from Old Injuries
Old injuries that show themselves during times of rainy and damp weather. An old injury that acts up during this time is referred to as Bi syndrome (Bi meaning obstruction), specifically Cold-Damp Bi Syndrome in Chinese Medicine.
The relation being the cold and damp nature of a rainy environment invaded the body, and slowed the circulation of Qi and blood and resulted in the aggravation of old injuries. Today, this could be explained by a drop in barometric pressure creating more pressure within our joints.
Using warm herbal soaks and liniments during the subacute stages of injury can help protect the area and make it less susceptible to acting up in the future.
Heal Better, Get Acupuncture
Injuries can present very differently during the stages of healing and it’s important to recognize where an injury is and treat accordingly. There are many therapies in Chinese Medicine that could help facilitate the healing process through each stage.
