Tissue Healing
Following injury, acupuncture can reduce swelling and spasms, improve blood circulation, and stimulate natural endorphins and anti-inflammatory hormones in the body. Experiments have shown that acupuncture can actually accelerate the healing of wounds to the tissues.
Acupuncture was applied to raised and resutured skin flaps in experimental animals and women undergoing reconstructive breast surgery. Capillary blood flow and flap survival rate were significantly improved in comparison with controls.
Lundeberg T, Kjartansson J, Samuelson U 1988 Effect of electrical nerve stimulation on healing of ischaemic skin flaps. Lancet 2:712-715.
Jansen G, Lundeberg T, Samuelson U E, Thomas M 1989. Increased survival of ischaemic musculocutaneous flaps in rats after acupuncture. Acta l'hysiologica Scandinavica 135:555-558
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