The Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy After Femur Fracture Surgery
Acupuncture therapy may be able to help people recover from serious broken bones, including femur fractures requiring surgery. Two separate investigations have taken a look at the potential of acupuncture therapy and its ability to aid someone’s recovery following broken bone surgery. Medical scientists have found that acupuncture can play a significant role in restoring mobility and controlling pain, including both acute and chronic.
Because the femur is one of the thickest bones in the body, it requires a significant amount of force to cause a fracture. Some of the most common mechanisms of femur fractures include motor vehicle accidents and falls from a great height. Many femur fractures require surgery to put the bone back together. Following surgical repair, it may take months before someone is able to walk again without pain. Researchers have now shown that acupuncture therapy may be able to expedite this process.
Acupuncture Can Help Restore Mobility
The first investigation analyzed acupuncture’s ability to restore mobility following surgery. A total of 94 patients were included. All patients had suffered a broken leg. The average age of the individuals in the study was 38 years. About half of the patients had suffered an open fracture, meaning that bone fragments were exposed to the external environment. The other half of the patients had closed fractures. Everyone in the study had his or her fractures diagnosed using x-rays.
The fractures were repaired using plates, screws, and nails. After the surgical procedures were completed, half of the patients underwent acupuncture therapy. The other half did not. Professional acupuncture therapists targeted pressure points that were believed to influence the recovery process.
After 60 days, every patient in both groups was evaluated. The group that underwent acupuncture therapy exhibited a greater range of motion and overall function than those who did not. More than 95 percent of the patients in the acupuncture group exhibited satisfactory mobility, compared to just 80 percent in the control group. These results show that acupuncture therapy may help patients improve their mobility following surgery for a femur fracture.
Acupuncture Therapy Can Control Swelling and Pain
In a second investigation, acupuncture was shown to help patients manage swelling and pain following surgery for a broken bone. This study was performed on children who had been involved in a traumatic accident. All fractures were diagnosed using x-rays. Each patient in the study required surgery to repair the injury.
A total of 64 patients were included in the study. Half of the patients underwent acupuncture therapy following surgical repair, while the other half did not. The patients in this group were followed closely for 12 months after the operation was completed. In the end, all patients were re-evaluated.
The injury repair sites were scored based on pain, function, swelling, and range of motion. In every area, the patients who underwent acupuncture therapy scored higher than those who did not. Ninety percent of the patients in the acupuncture group were classified as having “excellent” or “good” healing across all four areas, compared to just 78 percent in the control group. Therefore, this research study shows that acupuncture can help control swelling and pain following surgery for a broken femur.
Incorporating Acupuncture into Femur Fracture Surgery
The results of these two research papers show that acupuncture can control pain, relieve swelling, and improve mobility following femur fracture surgery. Right now, physical therapy and oral pain medications are considered first-line treatment methods. If acupuncture is incorporated into femur fracture treatment regimens, it may improve surgical outcomes and expedite recovery times.
Sacramento Femur Fracture Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Femur Fracture Lawyer. Acupuncture therapy can be an effective treatment option following surgery for a femur fracture. If you or someone you know has suffered a femur fracture due to the negligence of another person or entity, contact me today at either (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 and receive free, friendly legal advice.
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