Frequently Asked Questions

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East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, LLC offers a unique approach to sports and orthopedic conditions integrating both Eastern and Western methods.  The methods involved are hands on with a multidisciplinary approach by combining acupuncture, rehabilitation, and kinesio taping method to holistically enhance injury recovering time and return patients back to functional activity and health as quickly and safely as possible. 

What sets East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, LLC apart from all the other acupuncture practice is that it's the only sports specialized acupuncture practice in the Greater Boston area and the entire Eastern Massachusetts region that only see and treat patients with sports-related, orthopedic and musculoskeletal injury and conditions.

Small Business Excellence Award: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Best of Acupuncture Clinics Award: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Sports Acupuncture is an integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Acupuncture has been used for sports injuries for centuries because of it's effectiveness in enhancing the injury healing time and promoting performance.  The majority of sports injuries are acute and chronic conditions such as strains, sprains that involve injury to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.  Sports Acupuncture helps with reducing pain, inflammation, swelling, and restoring range of motion by increasing local blood flow to the injured area (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) and creating the injured muscles to continually twitch (activate) and return to a normal, spasm-free state, thereby strengthening it.  

"Needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain.  These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.  The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being." (American Academy of Medical Acupuncture)

East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, LLC specialized in athletic injury, orthopedic, and musculoskeletal conditions.  According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) acupuncture has been effective in treating a variety of conditions. Commonly treated injuries with sports acupuncture are low back pain, sacro-iliac dysfunction, bulged disc, hip flexor strain, adductor strain, hamstring strain, greater trochanter bursitis, iliotibial band syndrome, patella femoral syndrome, shin splints, patella tendinitis, meniscus injury, ankle sprain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, migraines and tension headaches, neck muscle tension, thoracic outlet syndrome, shoulder impingement, frozen shoulder, lateral and medial epicondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, and any strain, sprain, tendonitis, bursitis, or contusions.  

Many people have used acupuncture in an effort to delay or remove the need for surgery.  

Acupuncture is also effective in maximizing the post-surgical recovery process.

There are no differences, Dry Needling (trigger point needling) is a subset of an Acupuncture technique (trigger point acupuncture).  Dry Needling is Acupuncture and Acupuncture is not Dry Needling.

https://www.asacu.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/KH-Warren-DN-Doc.pdf

http://www.asacu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Dry-Needling-is-Acupuncture-McIntyre-A.pdf

The American Society of Acupuncturists (“ASA”) opposes the illegal and unsafe practice of acupuncture. “Dry needling” is a pseudonym for acupuncture that has been adopted by physical therapists, chiropractors, and other health providers who lack the legal ability to practice acupuncture within their scope of practice...

Acupuncture and Dry Needling Myth

https://www.asacu.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Relationship-Between-Acupuncture-and-Dry-Needling-Clarifying-Myths-and-Misinformation.pdf

Licensed medical physicians and licensed acupuncturists consider dry needling as Western Style Acupuncture or Trigger Point Acupuncture whereby the insertion sites are determined by tender painful areas and tight muscles. These sites may be treated alone or in combination with known acupuncture points...

https://www.nccaom.org/about-us/press/press-releases/aama-policy-on-dry-needling/

Kinesio taping method is a rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body's natural healing process by providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body's range of motion. Kinesiology tape is a latex free elastic tape that is water resistant and is used for prevention of injury as well as to help heal injuries that involve muscles and joints to enhance healing and recovery time.  Kinesiology tape application helps with increasing blood circulation and reducing swelling.  It also aids in preventing muscle spasm as well as supporting the weakened muscle and joint.

https://kinesiotaping.com/

The patient will be expected to complete a health history questionnaire. The acupuncturist will complete a Traditional Chinese  Medicine evaluation in addition to a comprehensive Western orthopedic evaluation based on the main complaints.  The information is then organized to formulate an diagnosis and treatment plan.  The initial evaluation will last for a hour and a half along with a treatment.

The number of treatments will vary from person to person based on if the condition is acute or chronic in nature.  Some people experience immediate relief and others may take a couple or a few weeks to achieve results.  Treatment frequency depends on the nature of the complaint, the underlying health of the patient and how the patient responds to the treatments.  Generally with acute conditions it take 

6 -8 treatments and with chronic conditions it take 6-10 treatments.

Acupuncture sensations vary with some patients experiencing nothing at all and others a slight numbness, heaviness, tingling or dull ache.  Sometimes people experience a sensation of energy spreading and moving around the needle which can be called "Qi."  All these reactions are good and a sign that the treatment is working.  After treatment, you may feel energized or may experience a deep sense of relaxation and well-being.

The acupuncture needles are very fine, hair thin, and flexible which makes it essentially painless during insertion.  The amount of sensation varies between different point locations on the body and different people's sensitivity level.  

Acupuncture is safe and has no side effects because it is a natural medicine.  The acupuncture needles used are pre-packaged stainless steel, sterilized, and disposable.  Each needle is used only one time and disposed into a regulated bio-hazard container.