At Greenstone we have a variety of treatment options that can suit everyone's needs. Did you know that we use electroacupuncture at the clinic?
First of all, what is electroacupuncture?
Electroacupuncture is a term used to describe stimulating acupuncture needles using an electrical current. It is an addition to acupuncture therapy where the electro machine allows for constant stimulation rather than simulating the needles by hand.
What is electroacupuncture used for?
Electroacupuncture can be used for muscle aches and spasms, chronic pain, hemiplegia, and side effects of neurological conditions such as bell's palsy.
What does Azz say about electroacupuncture?
Electro acupuncture is used to assess the functionality of skeletal muscles and treat the muscles presenting as dysfunctional.
Needles can be inserted into motor points and/ or trigger points.
Motor points: usually located in the centre of the muscle, it is the area in which the motor nerve innervates the skeletal muscle.
Trigger points: hypersensitive and/ or hyperirritable spots located within a taut band of skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as a muscle knot).
Inserting acupuncture pins into motor points under electrical stimulation will allow the practitioner to evaluate whether the muscle fibres and/ or nerve supply is either compromised or working correctly.
Initially, when a needle is inserted into a motor point there can be a slight twitch response; if the muscle continues to twitch this could indicate a neuromuscular dysfunction; alternatively, if there is no twitch response it could indicate that the muscle is inhibited --not contracting properly. Both neuromuscular dysfunction and muscle inhibition can be treated with electrical stimulation.
In my experience, electro acupuncture is essential for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.