Use of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sports-Related Injuries in Athletes: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Abstract

Acupuncture is one of the representative complementary and alternative medicine treatments used for various types of pain. This systematic review summarized and analyzed clinical case reports/series utilizing acupuncture for treating sports injuries in athletes, thereby providing the basis for further research to establish clinical evidence on acupuncture treatment in sports medicine. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Embase including MEDLINE up to 21 August 2019 without language and publication date restrictions. Due to the heterogeneity of each study, explanatory and descriptive analyses were performed. As a result, in each case report/series, it was confirmed that acupuncture was applied for treating various types of sports injuries experienced by athletes. Acupuncture can help relieve short-term pain and recover from dysfunction and has been used as a useful, noninvasive, and conservative modality for managing sports injuries such as lateral meniscus rupture, femoral acetabular impingement, ganglion cysts, and sports hernia. In addition, acupuncture has been suggested as a treatment worth trying for diseases such as yips and delayed onset muscle soreness. The included cases showed some potential of acupuncture in the treatment of various types of sports injuries, beyond pain control in musculoskeletal disorders. However, considering that this review was based on case reports/series, a limited understanding of the clinical value of acupuncture in athletes is required. In the future, more specific research questions and hypotheses should be addressed to generate evidence based on experimental research.

Akupunktur in der Sportmedizin

“…Aus der klinischen Erfahrung sowie anhand von Fallberichten und Studien lassen sich folgende Indikationen als akupunkturrelevant für die Sportmedizin aufführen [1,20,27]…”

Acupuncture and Dry Needling for Sports Performance and Recovery

“…A recent systematic review by Lee et al looked at case reports of acupuncture for the treatment of sports-related injuries in athletes (67). A comprehensive literature search was conducted that included various types of acupuncture treatments applied to athletes, and 22 case reports/series were eventually included.…”

Application of traditional Chinese therapy in sports medicine

“…Currently, sports injuries have become a common affliction due to the increasing number of sports enthusiasts, 25 especially in elite athletes. 26 The role of acupuncture in treating sports injuries is being accepted by the public, such as in the treatment of swelling, pain relief, and tissue repair. 27 , 28 , 29 In addition to surgical interventions and drug therapy, common upper limb injuries (shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinitis, sub-acute elbow pain and swelling, chronic soft-tissue injury of the shoulder and elbow), as well as lower limb injuries (femoroacetabular impingement, FAI), proximal hamstring tendinopathy, ganglion cyst, and acute ankle sprain) are relieved by acupuncture.…”