Does acupuncture work on sports injuries?

Possibly: Like any other treatment, some are effective and others may not be effective. Acupuncture is just another tool that can be used to treat injuries.

See below: Acupuncture works (it is thought) by causing the release of endorphins which help to reduce pain but also help increase circulation, decrease inflammation, release muscle spasms, and increase t-cell counts which stimulates the immune system. Thus, it helps sport injuries by increasing circulation so to speed healing, decreases inflammation and reduces pain.

Dr Mallia and another doctor agreed

Yes and no. : May help with pain or stress (if you Believe in it enough). But the injury itself will still take time to heal and if bad enough may need surgery.

Dr Seibert agreed

Yes: Acupuncture seems to work very well for any type of sports injury related to sprains, bruises, and muscle pain along with other types of sports injuries.

Dr Fowler and another doctor agreed

Yes: Many of my patients have sports related injuries. I work with a military population so getting people back to full duty status as quickly as possible is important. It helps to control pain and shortens recovery time.

It can.: Although it is considered an alternative therapy, it's something that can be tried if traditional methods of treatments are ineffective.

Yes: If is excellent for this purpose. But - it won't repair an injury that would only respond to surgery (i.e., like a meniscal tear).

Dr Sung agreed

Nerve/muscle stim: Acupunture can improve acute injuries by decreasing pain and improving blood flow (leading to faster healing). It can also decrease muscles spasm. It can help chronic injuries by facilitating neuro-muscular re-integration (when there is pain, the nerves to not signal as efficiently to the muscles)- acupuncture can re-stimulate those connections.