Finally! A Way to Recover.

If you’ve ever been in an auto accident or had a major injury or surgery, you know the combination of swelling, inflammation and pain can be both incapacitating and debilitating.  One of the hardest things to discern is what you should do when during the inflammatory and healing process.  Personally and professionally I can say with confidence that if you don’t know where to start, try Acupuncture. Acupuncture can benefit and support you at EVERY STAGE of the inflammatory process.

Before I explain why, I have to debunk inflammation a bit. We think of inflammation as a dirty word, a bad thing that we should combat at all costs because it hinders recovery.  In actuality, inflammation is the bodies’ natural response to injury and it is actually a healing mechanism!  Acute inflammation is necessary, it is chronic inflammation - when the body can’t seem to turn off the process - where we get into trouble.

The good news is that, acute or chronic, Acupuncture can help.  As a natural healing method it does not interact negatively with any other therapy you might pursue, such as Physical Therapy or Chiropractic, or even drug therapies such as muscle relaxants and pain medication - the focus of Acupuncture is enhance to and rebalance the body towards achieving a healthy pain free state.

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The Inflammatory Cycle and Where Acupuncture Fits In

The inflammatory cycle is actually quite interesting, and if you are a fit and active person it is worth acquainting yourself with.  If you understand the basics, the timeline especially, I personally believe you are much better able to take care of yourself appropriately which can speed recovery. So, here are the details of the phases of the inflammatory cycle:

ACUTE PHASE 
This phase lasts from injury onset to 72 hours post. During this phase, even if you only have a micro-tear (overstretching) as opposed to a major injury such as a car accident, you have active bleeding causing pain, swelling and redness. These help to improve blood flow and nutrition to the site of injury and are an effort by your body to immobilize the area. This phase can also be characterized by muscle spasm and pain as your body further seeks to immobilize damaged tissues.

TREATMENT - rest, hydrate, nourish. 
Feel free to move within a pain-free range of motion, but do not do anything that causes pain or strain - including bearing weight in the case of ankles and knees if bearing weight is painful. Drink plenty of water (minimum ½ your body weight in oz. per day) and increase Vitamin C - take at least 2,000mg per day.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP WITH THE ACUTE PHASE OF INFLAMMATION 
This is an important time for your body to mount its healing response, but also a time when it can begin the cycle that leads to chronic inflammation by mounting too strong a response relative to the injury. Runners work on their start out of the blocks incessantly because that initial burst of speed can determine the race.  Acupuncture during the first 72 hours after an injury can help reduce pain and help your body set the stage for balanced recovery.  Acupuncture will not stop the inflammatory process from happening, but it can reduce the inflammation to encourage the acute phase to end cleanly encouraging efficient recovery. It can also relax muscle spasm and change your bodies’ neurological perception of pain thereby naturally decreasing pain.

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REPAIR PHASE 
This phase lasts from 72 hours to 6 weeks after the injury and this is when the body is actually repairing the injured tissues.  Collagen fibers are being created and laid down to knit and repair every tear no matter how big or small.  Depending on the severity of the injury, muscle spasms and pain can still be foremost during this time.

TREATMENT - hydrate, nourish, move. 
During this time continuing to hydrate and well and supplement Vitamin C in particular (essential for collagen production!) is very important. Bone broths are another good addition to this phase since there is collagen in the bone marrow itself, or even a Chinese Herbal Soup (usually made with chicken but can be made vegetarian) to encourage healing. Movement still within a PAIN FREE RANGE OF MOTION ONLY is important to encourage the new collagen fibers to grow, but this is still a delicate time for re-injury so returning to sport may not be wise - seeing a Physical Therapist is recommended to guide you through safe physical activity.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP WITH THE REPAIR PHASE OF INFLAMMATION
As in the Acute Phase, Acupuncture can help decrease inflammation and reduce pain and muscle spasm.  Acupuncture has also been proven to cause endorphin release which can naturally fight pain and stress.  Acupuncture can therefore reduce reliance on pain medications, improve sleep that is disturbed by pain, reduce pain associated with recovery and encourage return to activity, therefore speeding recovery on many fronts.

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REMODELING PHASE 
This phase overlaps with the Repair Phase, lasting from 3 weeks to 12 months.  When the body lays down collagen in response to injury, it is not quite as “neat” as the body’s original connective tissue fibers. As you heal, repair and return to activity, you start using your body and stressing the new collagen fibers.  If they aren’t up to the task because they have been laid down in a really messy fashion, your body will break some of them down and remodel them into a more functional arrangement. During this phase you should experience reduced pain and increased range of motion, but you have to be moderate to avoid re-injuring yourself.

TREATMENT - move, nourish, hydrate. 
During this phase movement is key. Again, you will be prone to re-injury if you aren’t careful and working with a Physical Therapist is highly recommended, but you have to show your body what you want it to do - within SAFE LIMITS - if you want your tissue to be remodeled correctly. This is a time when you are beginning to test your limits, however, and some pain is expected as you recover.  To support your body in laying down collagen, keeping up with good hydration and nutrition is a must.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP WITH THE REMODELING PHASE OF INFLAMMATION
In the remodeling phase Acupuncture truly shines.  By this phase after a car accident in particular, you are starting to wean off medications (if you were on them in the first place), your PT is becoming more rigorous and you are chomping at the bit to get back to the life you want! Acupuncture can help with all of it - Acupuncture can reduce lingering inflammation towards preventing a chronic inflammatory response, reduce pain to allow you more pain free range of motion, reduce muscle spasm and tension associated with guarding patterns that may have been adopted during the Acute and Repair phases, AND it can encourage collagen production!

Acupuncture Reduces Inflammation and Promotes Long Term Healing After Injury

In short, Acupuncture is a win-win-win when it comes to injury recovery in every phase of the inflammatory process.  It can moderate inflammation out the gate, control and reduce inflammation during the slower phases of healing, while simultaneously reducing pain and relaxing muscles.  This works synergistically with all other injury and car accident treatments you might pursue.

My average moderately-injured auto accident patient comes in once a week for about 12 weeks total and makes a full recovery.  A minor fender bender patient can benefit from 2 to 4 treatments through the Repair Phase to ensure that minor aches and pains resolve instead of becoming something major without treatment. My severely-injured auto accident patients often come to see me every other week for a year after an initial series of 8-12 weekly treatments for support throughout the entire remodeling phase and likely have excellent results.

The best part about Acupuncture for auto accidents in particular is that its free! Covered 100% by your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance in Oregon.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the above or more about how Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can provide long term relief, please do not hesitate to contact me or book a consult in anytime!

Until next time,

~Rebecca

Patient Testimonial - "The Best At What She Does!"

This past summer I had a car accident, which left me with painful muscle injuries. Rebecca was the most knowledgeable and gentle practitioner, and I very much appreciated her extensive acupuncture and cupping skills. She always does a thorough analysis before each session and I feel extremely confident in her care. I will be returning to her for maintenance treatments in the future" ---B.S. December 2013