Specialized Acupuncture: Acupotomy

Hello, this is Dr. Hyocheong Chae, director of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic, a place where kind hearts reside.

You must have had many questions about Sunyujae’s specialized acupotomy treatment, haven’t you? Finally, through the April issue of Monthly Sunyujae, we are able to tell you about acupotomy treatment. If you’ve visited Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic, you’ve probably seen acupotomy videos on the TV in the waiting room. After watching the videos, you might have said, ‘Acupotomy looks too scary.’ ‘I think it will hurt, so I don’t think I can get it.’

You also say many things like, ‘Does Sunyujae only use acupotomy for acupuncture treatment?’ There’s too much to say about acupotomy treatment all at once. Today, I will give you some basic information about acupotomy.

Acupotomy Therapy: The Action of Acupuncture Needles and It refers to the combination of the action of a knife.

Acupotomy therapy is a treatment method that combines acupuncture and surgery to induce soft tissue changes and alleviate pain. Unlike pointed filiform needles, acupotomy uses a needle with a knife-shaped tip to finely incise and dissect tangled soft tissues, promoting blood circulation and activating tissue regeneration in the affected area. As a result, adhered adhesions are separated, allowing for smooth blood flow to the tangled tissues, softening the tissues, reducing pressure, decreasing swelling caused by inflammation, and thereby alleviating pain.

When acupotomy therapy is effective, chronic pain is primarily caused by organic changes in soft tissues such as adhesions, spasms, and scars. These soft tissue changes may not be detectable by imaging diagnostics such as X-rays, ultrasounds, or MRIs, which is why many people experience persistent pain despite various test results showing no abnormalities.

In such cases, acupotomy therapy promotes blood circulation through micro-incisions and dissection, separating adhered tissues and ensuring smooth blood supply to the tangled tissues, thereby alleviating inflammation and reducing pain. Acupotomy therapy involves deep insertion into the lesion to intentionally create micro-damage, which activates the body’s self-repair mechanisms for treatment and is an effective method for managing pain caused by soft tissue changes.

Scope of Acupotomy Use Acupotomy therapy’s scope of use is also extensive. It has excellent therapeutic effects on musculoskeletal disorders such as spinal stenosis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, and cervical disc herniation. Acupotomy therapy is also applied to headaches, dizziness, facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy), sequelae of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, cognitive impairment, sensory impairment, as well as internal medicine disorders such as chronic gastritis and bowel dysfunction, and gynecological disorders such as headaches and menstrual pain.

Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic pursues evidence-based medicine and integrative medicine.

This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.