Article

Studies investigating the use and effectiveness of acupuncture in
adults after exercise have been well documented.
Fewer studies involving
acupuncture have been completed in the adolescent athlete population. To our
knowledge, there are no published studies that investigate the use of acupuncture
in adolescent athletes within their field of play. OBJECTIVE:
To primarily assess
the feasibility of performing acupuncture in adolescent Nordic skiers within
their athletic environment, and secondarily to measure the effect of acupuncture
on muscle soreness and sense of well-being. DESIGN: Prospective feasibility
study. SETTING: Local outdoor cross country ski trails and indoor lodge.
PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen healthy participants (80% female, 20% male; age 14-17
years) were involved on at least 1 of 5 treatment days. INTERVENTION:
Fifteen-minute treatments were administered using traditional needle acupuncture
following the first 5 consecutive Nordic Ski Team practices of the season in an
attempt to capture the effect of acupuncture on delayed-onset muscle soreness
(DOMS). Acupuncture points specific to muscle groups in the lower limbs that are
commonly reported as painful during Nordic skiing were chosen. Pre- and
posttreatment surveys included visual analogue scales (VAS) to track participant
responses. OUTCOME MEASURES: Time, cost, side effects, and participant to
provider ratio was observed to determine feasibility. Effect on muscle soreness
and sense of well-being was measured via pre- and posttreatment VAS (0-10) rating
analyses. RESULTS: Total time required by research staff on treatment days was 90
minutes; total cost, $1500; temperature range, -13.9 degrees C to -2.8 degrees C,
and largest participant to acupuncturist ratio, 7:1. No major side effects
occurred. The majority (73%) of participants reported minimal side effects; most
common was treatment site pain. The overall pre- to posttreatment effect on
muscle soreness (average over 5 days) demonstrated significantly improved
posttreatment scores (P = .04). The effect of the day (average over pre- and
posttreatment values) demonstrated significantly higher muscle soreness scores on
day 3 versus day 1 (P = .03). At study completion, all participants indicated
that they would consider acupuncture in the future and would recommend treatments
to friends or teammates. CONCLUSION: Providing acupuncture to adolescent Nordic
ski athletes in the practice field under extreme temperatures is feasible with
the appropriate resources. Despite mild side effects, acupuncture was well
received by the athletes. Lessons learned from this trial can provide a framework
for delivering acupuncture to other athletes in their training environment. LEVEL
OF EVIDENCE: IV.
CI - Copyright (c) 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS