Can ACL injuries improve with acupuncture treatment?

What is an ACL Injury?

An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury is a condition where an essential ligament for knee stability gets damaged. This injury often occurs during sports or sudden twisting movements in daily life, causing knee instability and pain, which may restrict movement. For those who enjoy sports, this is a significant concern. If left untreated, ACL injuries can lead to other issues like meniscal or cartilage damage, joint deformation, or osteoarthritis.

Causes

Activities like futsal, soccer, basketball, and volleyball, which involve sudden changes in direction or jumping and landing, are common causes. Weak muscles and low flexibility also contribute to ACL injuries.

Treatment Methods

Treatment options for ACL injuries include surgery, rehabilitation, conservative therapy, and acupuncture. Acupuncture promotes natural knee healing by improving blood flow and creating a better environment within the knee, making it a recommended method for quicker recovery. Using a knee brace along with acupuncture helps maintain knee stability, preventing re-injury and re-rupture.

*Patient testimonials represent individual experiences.

At our clinic, we believe that the root cause of ACL injuries lies in “body misalignment.” If this misalignment is not addressed, there is a high chance of ACL re-rupture or injury to the opposite ligament even after reconstruction surgery. Many patients suffer from re-injury or re-rupture because typical hospital treatments do not address the underlying “misalignment.” Generally, men are more likely to experience re-rupture in the same area, while women often injure the opposite ligament.

At our clinic, we use thermal, moiré, and ultrasound testing before treatment to identify “misalignment” and correct it with acupuncture and bracing. This restores the natural kinetic chain in the body, helping prevent re-rupture. We also recommend wearing a knee brace as an aid in recovery to prevent unexpected symptoms from worsening and to enhance natural healing. For those seeking faster recovery, our treatment aims for fundamental improvement.

Judo Therapist and Acupuncturist Kana Yoshiike

At our clinic, we conduct ACL examinations from a unique perspective, different from orthopedic approaches. Using thermography, we can instantly assess the overall condition of the body. We analyze ACL injury causes from the whole-body perspective to address fundamental issues. Many patients with concerns like lack of sensation after ACL surgery show stiffness or imbalance in the hip or ankle joints during examination. For this reason, we consider overall body balance while conducting tests, aiming for fundamental improvement.

Is Acupuncture Effective for ACL Injuries?

Acupuncture treatment for ACL injuries and knee discomfort is expected to help balance the entire body and reduce the risk of recurrence. Although ACL injuries are challenging to heal naturally, proper treatment combined with the effects of acupuncture can support recovery. For mild ACL injuries, conservative therapy using a knee brace can promote faster recovery.

Acupuncture for Those Who Have Had Surgery

We provide acupuncture to reduce knee inflammation and adjust the whole body's movement. Especially when hip or ankle flexibility is limited, knee strain increases, so it’s crucial to treat the hip area to maintain overall balance. This approach helps guide the natural movement around the knee and supports recurrence prevention.

Acupuncture for Those Who Have Not Had Surgery

In cases where surgery is challenging or the ACL injury is mild, acupuncture is effective as a conservative treatment. This approach aims to reduce the burden on the knee while preventing deformation and aligning movement patterns. Acupuncture is especially helpful for children in their growth phase and for older adults, as it promotes gentle, natural recovery of knee ligaments.

Acupuncture Treatment for ACL Injuries

Treating the Knee

By treating the knee with acupuncture, the natural healing ability of the joint is enhanced, supporting the recovery of damaged ACLs, menisci, and joint cartilage. After ACL injuries or surgeries that involve drilling into cartilage, inflammation can persist. In such cases, acupuncture is highly recommended. It is also effective for the recovery of donor tendons (patellar or hamstring) used in post-surgery recovery.

Treating the Knee Movement Chain

ACL injuries occur due to factors like poor balance and stiffness in the hip or ankle. To prevent re-injury or re-rupture, it’s essential to align the balance and movement chain of the joints to centralize the body’s weight. When balance is achieved, it prevents excessive strain on one knee, reducing the risk of knee instability and ACL re-rupture. Let’s restore body balance with acupuncture and knee braces.

Treatment Using Knee Braces

This treatment uses knee braces to help the body learn natural movements that don’t strain the ACL. By using braces of varying strengths according to symptoms, it balances the movement of both knees, helping prevent knee instability and recurrence.

Aligning Knee Movements with Braces

At our clinic, we categorize knee braces by function: For Fixation, For Recurrence Prevention, and For Injury Prevention. Adjusting the brace strength on each side according to knee strength differences helps align knee movements.

During the acute phase or when feeling insecure, use For Fixation on the injured side.
After recovery, use For Recurrence Prevention on the injured side.
Use For Injury Prevention on the healthy side to balance weight.

This helps eliminate concerns about knee instability and promotes natural, ACL-friendly movements.

Recommended Braces for Protecting the ACL and Supporting Recovery

After ACL Reconstruction Surgery

• For Daily Life and Light Exercise

  [Recurrence Prevention] ExAid Knee PCL [Injury Prevention] ExAid Knee Light Sports 3

• For Sports Activities

  [Prevention of Aggravation] ExAid Knee Light Sports 2 [Injury Prevention] ExAid Knee Light Sports 2

• Increasing Brace Strength

  [Ligament Reinforcement] Kinesiology Tape

Though designed for PCL, ExAid Knee PCL is highly effective for stabilizing the knee, reducing instability, and protecting cartilage and menisci. Using Recurrence Prevention on the injured side and Injury Prevention on the healthy side balances weight distribution and promotes safe movement.

Knee braces with aluminum stays may be prohibited in sports with a risk of contact or falls due to potential secondary injuries. In these cases, reinforcement tape can be applied under the brace to strengthen it, along with a Injury Prevention knee brace to prevent aggravation during sports.

About the Number of Treatments

We consider 14 sessions as one treatment cycle and conduct evaluations throughout the process.
Multiple treatments can be administered in a single day.
After completing one treatment cycle, we conduct another evaluation to determine the frequency of subsequent treatments.

Examination Fees

We examine weight balance and muscle fiber asymmetry.
An initial examination fee of 4,000 to 15,000 yen will apply.

Cost of Acupuncture Treatment

Based on the examination results, we combine Acupuncture Treatments A and B for ACL injuries.
*We can provide an upfront treatment estimate, allowing you to adjust the treatment scope according to your budget.
*For initial visits after 1:00 PM on weekdays, or on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, examination and treatment fees are 1.5 times the standard rate.

ACL Injury Acupuncture Treatment A

ACL Injury Acupuncture Treatment B