Effect of Acupuncture on Muscle Endurance in the Female Shoulder Joint: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Shoulder joint dysfunction is the leading cause of decreased athletic ability in athletes. Shoulder joint sports injuries affect the athletic performance of athletes. Improvements in the muscle endurance of the shoulder joint can reduce the incidence of shoulder joint dysfunction. Acupuncture has been an important part of Asian culture for a long time. In acupuncture, nerves are stimulated, inducing postactivation potentiation (PAP) in the body’s motor units and enhancing muscle strength. In this research, 20 female participants with full flexion/extension and adduction/abduction ranges of motion in the shoulder joint during isokinetic exercises underwent stimulation of the following acupuncture points in the shoulder joint: Binao (LI14), Jianyu (LI15), Jianliao (SJ14), Naohui (SJ13), Yuzhong (KI26), Zhongfu (LU1), Yunmen (LU2), Xiabai (LU4), Chize (LU5), Tianfu (LU3), and Xiaoluo (SJ12). In the study, there were significant increases after acupuncture in the average maximum torque in flexion, extension, and adduction; the average work in flexion/extension and adduction/abduction; the average power in flexion/extension and adduction/abduction; the total work in flexion/extension and adduction/abduction; the total net sagittal-plane work (flexion + extension); and the total net frontal-plane work (adduction + abduction) (P<0.05). The average maximum abduction torque did not increase significantly, potentially due to antagonistic forces of muscles. Therefore, acupuncture at acupoints around the shoulder joint can increase muscle excitability, thereby delaying muscle fatigue and increasing muscle endurance.

Effect of Acupuncture on Timeliness of Male Shoulder Joint Endurance

“…The selected acupoints include: LI14, SJ14, SJ13, LU1, LU4, LU3 and SJ12 [ 7 ]. These points positions are shown in Figure 4 .…”

“…Therefore, acupuncture is particularly important in treating diseases, relieving pain and restoring health. Past studies found that acupuncture at specific acupoints can induce parasympathetic excitation of the body and produce “De Qi” [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], “De Qi” is thought to be caused by myosin regulating light chain phosphorylation in connective tissue fibroblasts that alters the increased sensitivity of actin and myosin Ca2+ to enhance strengthening of the muscles [ 8 ]. Therefore, acupuncture increases the body’s ability to quickly recover from fatigue and improves muscle strength.…”

“…Furthermore, stimulating the body’s proprioceptive system stimulates neurons to improve motor performance [ 9 ]. Acupuncture stimulation of the muscle surface can induce changes in potential in the body to the central nervous system to accelerate limb movements [ 10 ] and stimulating neurons in the deeper or shallower layers of the skin causes muscles to contract in a way that strengthens the body and helps improve motor performance [ 6 , 7 ]. Therefore, the use of acupuncture to stimulate the body may cause a rapid response of nerves to be transmitted to the brain and increased muscle strength and motor performance may improve physical muscle endurance.…”

“…Therefore, the muscle strength enhancement induced by nerve acupuncture is similar to the PAP phenomenon induced by muscle contraction after skin stimulation because both continue to increase strength and motor performance after the stimulation has ceased. Past studies on the shoulder have found that acupuncture on body surface receptors can increase muscle activity, induce the PAP response and improve muscle endurance and shoulder joint muscle group explosive power [ 6 , 7 ]. Needling skin receptors can cause the physiological response to the PAP phenomenon to enhance motor performance.…”

Effects of Acupuncture on Explosive Force Production by the Healthy Female Shoulder Joint

“…In a recent study of the effect of acupuncture on the endurance of the female shoulder joint muscles, it was found that acupuncture can increase the excitability of the shoulder joint muscles, delaying muscle fatigue, and increasing muscle endurance [ 22 ]. However, the effectiveness in increasing the explosive force of the female shoulder joint has not been confirmed until now.…”