Most of us have heard of the potential benefits of traditional acupuncture with respect to aches and pains, but have you heard that acupuncture may also help support a regular program of physical exercise? Several recent studies have shown promising results in at least two areas related to exercise related pain or discomfort.

One study which was recently conducted in Heidelberg, Germany by German cardiologists focused on the effects of acupuncture on heart patients’ exercise programs. One key aspect of recovery for heart patients is to begin to become more physically active so this experiment was designed to see if a group of patients who underwent acupuncture had any noticeable positive benefits from acupuncture versus another group who performed the same amount of exercise but with no acupuncture treatments.

As the data rolled in, the results clearly showed that the group who received acupuncture not only was able to exercise at a higher capacity for longer periods of time, but their overall perception of pain and discomfort was significantly less. While important to note the testing did not show any increased capability of the heart functionality in these patients, the increased amount of exercise performed could surely lead to a more speedy and possibly more significant recovery for patients who have had heart conditions.

Another study, conducted at the acupuncture research center in Taiwan, focused on a group of 20 males and was designed to see if acupuncture treatments had any effect on post exercise pain, known as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This pain is associated with a combination of factors but most notably is related to the damage and subsequent repair of muscular tissue allowing the body to recuperate and become better conditioned. The results clearly showed that the perception of pain in the group that received acupuncture was significantly less than in the group who received no treatments.

Again, while no specific physiological effects were noted, but the decrease in pain alone shows promise in that regular acupuncture treatments may help support a healthy exercise program and lessen the pain experienced by those who exercise regularly and at high intensities. In this case, we might be able to say goodbye to the phrase “No Pain, No Gain” once and for all…IF you get your acupuncture treatments that is…