Acupuncture-Electroacupuncture for Musculoskeletal Pain

For individuals dealing with musculoskeletal pain, can incorporating acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapy provide beneficial results?

Introduction

The upper and lower body quadrants are surrounded by muscles, soft tissues, and ligaments that allow the body to move and feel pain or discomfort. Each muscle group has an important job: providing sensory-motor functions like grasping objects, moving extremities, supporting proper posture, and stabilizing vertical axial weight. However, many people have adopted various habits from environmental factors or have been through traumatic injuries that can cause referred muscle pain in the upper and lower body quadrants. When this happens, it can lead to a life of disability, pain, and discomfort over time if it is not treated right away. Musculoskeletal pain can also overlap with other comorbidities that may already be present.

Fortunately, many treatments can reduce musculoskeletal pain and support overall health. Today’s article looks at two non-surgical therapies, how each can reduce musculoskeletal pain, and how effective they can be for many people.

• We talk with certified medical providers who review our patients’ information to assess how non-surgical treatments can reduce the pain-like effects of musculoskeletal pain.
• We also guide patients on how these non-surgical treatments can help lessen the referred pain caused by various environmental factors affecting their musculoskeletal system.
• We encourage our patients to ask their medical providers important questions about incorporating non-surgical treatments into their health and wellness care. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

The Traditional Touch of Acupuncture

After a long workday, do you feel soreness in your arms, legs, or feet? Have you experienced numbness or stiffness in the upper or lower parts of your body? Or do you wake up with muscle aches and pain? Around the world, many individuals have dealt with musculoskeletal pain at some point, which causes many people to miss out on numerous activities.

Musculoskeletal pain is a multifactorial condition that any individual can develop over time.

Biological mechanisms contributing to musculoskeletal pain can be heterogeneous, including cardiometabolic and systemic inflammation that can affect the body. (Dzakpasu et al., 2021) When many people are doing repetitive motions or have dealt with injuries, it can cause the various muscles to be overstretched, tightened, or weakened, which can cause individuals to feel miserable and seek treatment. When people go to get treatment for their musculoskeletal pain, many people will tell their doctors about their pain experience and how it impacts their daily social well-being.

By understanding how musculoskeletal pain negatively affects their lives, patients can take a multidisciplinary approach to pain management that emphasizes rehabilitation and non-surgical treatments as a first step in effectively managing musculoskeletal pain. (Welsh et al., 2020)

Non-surgical treatments vary depending on the severity of the musculoskeletal pain a person is experiencing. Because musculoskeletal pain is multifactorial, many people have comorbidities that create overlapping risk profiles; therefore, many incorporate non-surgical treatments because they are affordable and can be combined with other treatments. One of the oldest therapies that is still practiced today is acupuncture. Acupuncture involves inserting thin, solid needles into the body’s acupoints to restore the normal flow of energy through the body’s pathways. Highly trained professionals perform acupuncture, and it is safe and effective for people dealing with musculoskeletal pain. Additionally, acupuncture can positively affect the body by helping change pain perception in the affected muscle. (Kelly & Willis, 2019)

How Acupuncture Benefits Muscle Pain

Acupuncture can also benefit individuals by activating self-healing mechanisms and restoring the body’s homeostasis. (Wang et al., 2023) Some of the beneficial properties that people can experience with acupuncture include:

• Provides natural pain relief by stimulating endorphin release in the affected muscle.
• Reduces muscle inflammation in the affected muscle group.
• Improves blood flow to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness.
• Reducing stress and muscle tension in the affected area.

At the same time, acupuncture therapy for muscle pain can reduce inhibitory effects and modulate pain perception, which can modify central sensitization. (Zhu et al., 2021)

The Modern Twist of Electroacupuncture

Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that uses acupuncture needles and electric stimulation on the affected muscle. At the same time, during electroacupuncture treatment, somatosensory afferent nerves provide pain relief. They block pain signals from reaching the central nervous system. (Chen et al., 2021) This is because adding electric stimulation can enhance the therapeutic effects of the acupuncture points in the body. 

How Electroacupuncture Benefits Muscle Pain

For reducing muscle pain, electroacupuncture can be more effective, as acupuncturists can adjust the intensity of the electric current on the affected muscle to ensure comfort. Some of the benefits that electroacupuncture provides include:

• Enhanced pain relief, as the electric current can stimulate endorphin release.
• Muscle relaxation from spasms in the affected muscle group.
• Increased healing rate by stimulating deeper muscles.
• Helps improve muscle strength and flexibility to enhance function.

Electroacupuncture can relieve pain and adjust the biomechanical properties of extensor-flexor muscles to reduce abnormal joint loading caused by musculoskeletal pain. (Shi et al., 2020)

How These Treatments Help With Musculoskeletal Pain

When it comes to acupuncture and electroacupuncture, it depends on the severity of the musculoskeletal pain. Many people prefer traditional acupuncture for acute musculoskeletal pain for a more holistic approach. In comparison, others might prefer electroacupuncture to reduce the chronic pain effects of musculoskeletal pain. However, both of these treatments are non-surgical. They can be combined with other therapies, such as physical therapy or chiropractic care, to stimulate the body’s natural healing factors and relieve musculoskeletal pain. When combined with other therapies, these treatments strengthen affected muscles and restore mobility in the extremities. When people start thinking about their well-being, they can utilize these treatments to reduce the comorbidities associated with musculoskeletal pain that is affecting them. Thus allowing them to make small, healthy changes to their routine and live pain-free lives.

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References

Chen, L., Wang, X., Zhang, X., Wan, H., Su, Y., He, W., Xie, Y., & Jing, X. (2021). Electroacupuncture and Moxibustion-Like Stimulation Relieves Inflammatory Muscle Pain by Activating Local Distinct Layer Somatosensory Afferent Fibers. Front Neurosci, 15, 695152. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.695152

Dzakpasu, F. Q. S., Carver, A., Brakenridge, C. J., Cicuttini, F., Urquhart, D. M., Owen, N., & Dunstan, D. W. (2021). Musculoskeletal pain and sedentary behaviour in occupational and non-occupational settings: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 18(1), 159. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01191-y

Kelly, R. B., & Willis, J. (2019). Acupuncture for Pain. American Family Physician, 100(2), 89-96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31305037

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/0715/p89.pdf

Shi, X., Yu, W., Wang, T., Battulga, O., Wang, C., Shu, Q., Yang, X., Liu, C., & Guo, C. (2020). Electroacupuncture alleviates cartilage degradation: Improvement in cartilage biomechanics via pain relief and potentiation of muscle function in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis. Biomed Pharmacother, 123, 109724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109724

Wang, M., Liu, W., Ge, J., & Liu, S. (2023). The immunomodulatory mechanisms for acupuncture practice. Front Immunol, 14, 1147718. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1147718

Welsh, T. P., Yang, A. E., & Makris, U. E. (2020). Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults: A Clinical Review. Med Clin North Am, 104(5), 855-872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2020.05.002

Zhu, J., Li, J., Yang, L., & Liu, S. (2021). Acupuncture, from the ancient to the current. Anat Rec (Hoboken), 304(11), 2365-2371. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.24625