Why Acupuncture Works on Your Workers’ Compensation Injury
Acupuncture is a recognized therapeutic modality in workers’ compensation in California. Many orthopedics and pain management MD’s send their patients to acupuncture. It is probably the most popular way to reduce pain medication which many want to avoid. Results of acupuncture can be quite long lasting and often permanent healing takes place. I have been treating work injuries for 25 years and have found that acupuncture and western medicine are very complimentary. This is because acupuncture works well where surgery and drugs are inappropriate, not tolerated, or not warranted. In conjunction with or prior to physical therapy, it allows the patient to perform stretches and exercises with less pain and greater range of motion.
Work injuries that I treat regularly:
- Neck Injuries With Or Without Disc Involvement And Radiating Pain, Muscle Spasms
- Carpal Tunnel and All Wrist and Elbow Disorders
- Low Back Pain and Herniated Discs
- Knee, Foot and Ankle Injuries
- Headaches, Insomnia, Stress and Depression resulting from Chronic Injuries
- Tendonitis, Bursitis, Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease
- Pre and Post Surgery Care, Scar-Tissue Reduction
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome; Chronic and Acute Pain
Acupuncture reduces pain and inflammation, increases blood flow to decrease muscle spasms and increase healing. It increases range of motion, decreases medication-induced nausea, and promotes relaxation in anxious patients.
How does acupuncture promotes healing of the discs, ligaments, bones and tendons? It is by increasing blood flow to these areas. Many do not know that when the body is injured, it thinks that it is protecting the area by stiffening up and decreasing blood flow to the injured site. Sometimes your body thinks that its job is done and the acupuncture tells it to get back to work healing the area and increasing blood flow. This is why injuries are often so difficult to heal and why acupuncture works so well.
Acupuncture is a perfect complement to medical services already being provided without the use of addictive pain medications. Often, costly surgery is avoided through acupuncture decreasing costs in workers’ compensation.
Auto Injury Treatment
The sooner you begin treatment to relax and heal your muscles, the sooner you will stop the progression of tightening that continues after an auto accident. Studies show that up to 40% of these injuries still have pain ten years later. This comes from improper healing at the beginning of the injury. Whether it is neck pain from whiplash, wrist or knee pain from the steering wheel, ankle pain from jamming into the floorboard, collarbone and shoulder pain from the seat belt, or the common low back pain from the thrust, acupuncture treats all of them.
Improper healing from incomplete or no treatment will result in pain later down the road. Often this is because scar tissue formed form the trauma. I have treated scar tissue that is 17 years old successfully with acupuncture. Scar tissue is formed when there is decreased blood flow to the tissue. Acupuncture brings blood back into the tissue.
The first treatment is no charge to you, so we can discuss what works best for your case. You may have auto insurance that covers your treatment. If not, we have an excellent attorney (excellent because he gets cases closed right away when others take years) should you need one. We take cases on liens if you already have an attorney. Your health insurance may be a good back-up plan.