What Is Acupuncture and How Does It Help?

If you have been searching for acupuncture near me and you are looking for acupuncture in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Apache Junction or Gold Canyon,  Arizona you have come to the right place.

At In Motion Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture we are dedicated to help you get back to doing the activities you love and more. Our personalized comprehensive treatments are designed to alleviate your pain and restore your health, energy and vitality. Our approach is unique because we integrate Western orthopedic assessment and dry needling with the fullest power of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. This allows us to provide you with the most comprehensive and effective treatments possible. This unique integrative approach allows us to fully understand the cause of your condition, why it occurred and how to resolve it.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra thin needles at specific points on the body to correct imbalances in the body that cause pain, joint stiffness, swelling, numbness and tingling.  Because acupuncture treats the whole person it can also be used to address stress, insomnia, digestive and hormonal issues.

How does acupuncture work?

Inserting needles at specific points activates  the body’s own healing mechanisms in three different ways. First, local needles stimulate the production of natural pain killers and anti-inflammatory substances.  Local needles also enhance circulation and stimulate immune cells.  Second, the needles stimulate the nervous system sending messages to the skin, muscles and organs.  Third, messages are sent from the nervous system to the brain which then releases necessary  hormones and neurotransmitters in order to bring the body back into balance (homeostasis).  This is why acupuncture alleviates pain and treats insomnia, stress and hormonal issues.  Denise has studied a variety of acupuncture techniques with some of the most internationally respected Doctors of Chinese Medicine in order to provide the best outcome for your condition.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling involves needling trigger points and local areas.  Trigger points are taut ropey bands that refer pain to other areas of the body.  These bands cause pain and restrict range of motion. Needling these bands creates a twitch which releases the trigger point so that it is no longer active, resulting in pain relief and increased range of motion.  Denise is also trained in dry needle techniques and has extensive experience in working with trigger points.  She often uses dry needling for sciatica, back pain, knee pain, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, shoulder pain and hip pain.

What is the Difference Between Acupuncture and Dry Needling?

Dry needling involves directly treating the painful area or trigger points that refer to that area.  Acupuncture also address the painful area as well as the underlying factors that are the root of your condition.  If an area is too painful to be needled directly, acupuncture can be used on points away from the pain with good results.  Both acupuncture and dry needling are supported by evidence based scientific research.  

Treatment for Orthopedic Conditions
Chronic pain changes people’s lives. It negatively effects our mood, energy levels and relationships. People who were once active, outgoing and engaged in life find themselves only able to manage their pain. Unfortunately, pain medication masks the cause of pain leaving it unresolved. Acupuncture is highly effective for treating many types of  pain. From osteoarthritis, back pain, sciatica, neck pain and tendonitis to sprains and strains that just won’t heal, acupuncture addresses the root cause of pain to ensure a complete recovery. Acupuncture restores people’s lives.

The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture for the following orthopedic conditions: • Arthritis • “Frozen shoulder”, “tennis elbow” • Localized traumatic injuries, sprains, strains, tendonitis, contractures • Low back pain • Muscle pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness • Osteoarthritis • Sciatica • Work and sports related injuries. In addition, we have successfully treated post surgical pain, pain from herniated and degenerated discs, stroke recovery, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain and headaches.

Acupuncture for Athletes
Whether it is winning a medal, achieving a personal best or simply completing an endurance event, every athlete is looking for a competitive edge. Acupuncture offers an enormous advantage for athletes who utilize it. Acupuncture alleviates pain, reduces swelling and bruising and speeds healing. We also address muscle tightness and fascial adhesions which restrict range of motion and mobility. Every athlete knows that increased range of motion and mobility lead to increased sports performance. Poor sleep, stress and fatigue also affect sports performance and can be effectively treated by acupuncture. We have successfully helped competitive and recreational triathletes, cyclists, runners and even para Olympians.

Acupuncture for Masters Athletes
Years of hard charging take a toll on the body. Masters athletes often feel the effects of old injuries from many years ago. In addition, acute injuries are much slower to heal and Masters athletes need more recovery time from intense workouts. The good news is in our clinical experience, regular acupuncture helps Masters athletes recover more quickly from injury and prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. Whether it is wanting to throw a ball overhand again, play golf without back pain or continue to compete at a high level, regular acupuncture helps master athletes continue to maintain a high level of performance. We have successfully worked with World Senior Softball Championship players, Masters competitive tennis and baseball players.

Tuina (Chinese Massage)

Tuina or Chinese style massage is an important part of treatment for patients with orthopedic conditions. Tuina combines massage techniques with gentle stretching and mobilization. It can be used to further alleviate pain, swelling and muscular spasm and to increase range of motion. It also corrects postural imbalances that are often the root cause of pain and loss of mobility.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine is a wonderful complement to acupuncture treatment. Herbal formulas provide vital nutrients that have specific healing actions for muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and our internal organs. At In Motion Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture we use both internal and external herbal formulas. Internal formulas work from the inside of the body to decrease inflammation and pain and provide the necessary nutrients to heal injured tissue. These formulas also strengthen the body, increase energy, and optimize the function of our internal organs. External formulas are applied to the surface of the skin. They work from the outside to reduce pain and swelling and to speed the healing of injured tissues.

We use only the highest quality certified good manufacturing practices (GMP) herbs.

Nutritional Counseling

The role of food as medicine is very important in Chinese medicine. Certain foods help us heal, while other foods hinder our progress. Patients suffering from chronic pain benefit immensely from an anti-inflammatory diet. We work together to help you learn which foods to choose and which foods to avoid for your constitution.