Does electroacupuncture help an ankle sprain in its first days? In a three-group trial, ankle function scores rose more with electroacupuncture than with sham treatment or ice and rest, starting at week 2.
RESEARCH
Clinical trial · Journal of Pain Research · Nov 3, 2026
The Journal of Pain Research published a randomized trial in which electroacupuncture with surround needling, started within 48 hours of an ankle sprain, improved ankle function more than sham electroacupuncture or ice and rest. Researchers assigned 95 adults with grade I or II lateral ankle sprains to the three groups for 3 weeks of treatment and followed them to week 9. From week 2 on, the electroacupuncture group scored about 8 to 11 points higher on the Kofoed ankle score (0 to 100, higher is better) than both comparison groups, which never differed from each other. The difference was statistically significant, but the paper doesn't say how large a change on this scale patients would notice. Ultrasound showed more reduction in the thickness of two ankle ligaments. The trial ran at one hospital, and only 66 of the 95 adults completed every assessment and were analyzed.
Protocol: BL60, BL62, KI6, ST41, ST42 and the most tender Ashi point, plus surround needling: 4 to 6 needles (0.25 × 40 mm) in a ring 1 to 2 cm from the most painful spot, 10 to 15 mm deep, manipulated for 30 seconds to deqi and retained 30 minutes. Electroacupuncture on BL60 and ST41 at 2/100 Hz (the current's frequency) for the 30 minutes. Three sessions a week for 3 weeks, 9 sessions in all. The sham group had the same points and schedule with non-penetrating needles and no current. Adverse events: mild bruising at needle sites in the electroacupuncture group, which needed no treatment; the paper doesn't give the number of cases.
PRACTICE
Two questions before you treat a fresh ankle sprain
This week's trial started treatment within 48 hours of a grade I or II sprain, so the patient who calls the morning after rolling an ankle is the patient it studied. Two questions from the Ottawa Ankle Rules, developed by emergency physicians in Ottawa (Annals of Emergency Medicine, 1992), sort out who should have an X-ray first. Could you take four steps on it, right after it happened and now? Is the bone tender at the back edge or tip of either ankle knob? A no to the first question, or a yes to the second, points to imaging before treatment. The rules weren't built for pregnancy, head injuries or intoxication, so those callers go to imaging too. The same two questions fit on a website page about sprains.
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CEUS
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all courses listed are CAB-approved; many also carry other state or NCBAHM approvals. Listings subject to change. Please verify details, CE hours, and eligibility directly with provider. Links point to provider sites; you may need to navigate to the specific registration page. IN‑PERSON and LAW & ETHICS are highlighted.
THIS WEEK
Nov 10: The Mouth-Body Connection: A Missing Root Cause in America’s Chronic Health Crisis
2.0 CEUs • California Naturopathic Doctors Association
Nov 10: Integrating Qi Gong and Tung’s Acupuncture: Dong Qi Method and Mindful Practice
4.0 CEUs • Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine
Nov 10: Why (Not How) Do Herbs Work?
2.0 CEUs • CSOMA
Nov 13: 35+ Years of Clinical Success: Mastering Lumbar, Hip, and Buttock Pain with Confidence
6.0 CEUs • Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine
Nov 13: Red Herrings in Fertility Cases: 10 Diagnostic Mistakes That Delay Results
2.0 CEUs • Healthy Seminars
Nov 14: Alchemical Acupuncture: The Metal Element, Course 4
6.0 CEUs • A New Possibility
Nov 14: Oncology Acupuncture Program: 3rd Live Session
4.0 CEUs • TCM Academy of Integrative Medicine
Nov 14: DAOM November TCM Classics with Elisabeth Rochat IN‑PERSON
20.0 CEUs • Yo San University, Marina del Rey, CA
Nov 14: The Tian Yin-Yang Acupuncture Technique of Zhuang Medicine, Part 2
2.0 CEUs • Treasure of the East
Nov 14: Flavors and the Universe, Part 1
3.5 CEUs • Between Heaven & Earth
Nov 14: Womb & Abdominal Massage: Integrative Women's Health Training for Acupuncture Practitioners IN‑PERSON
6.0 CEUs • Dr. Nathalie Shapiro, Ojai, CA
Nov 15: Oncology Acupuncture Program: 4th Live Session
4.0 CEUs • TCM Academy of Integrative Medicine
Nov 15: Acupuncture Treatment Strategies and Acupoint Selection
4.0 CEUs • HealthCMi
Nov 15: Sperb's Herbs: Jiang Huang (Turmeric), Run Chang Wan (Moisten the Intestines Pill from Master Shen's Book) and Dong Chong Xia Cao (Cordyceps)
3.0 CEUs • Net of Knowledge
Nov 15: Flavors and the Universe, Part 2
3.5 CEUs • Between Heaven & Earth
Nov 15: Shao Yin: The Master Neuroendocrine Axis
2.0 CEUs • Yo San University
Nov 15: Acupuncture for the Aging Brain: Mechanisms in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Vascular Dementia
4.0 CEUs • Healthy Seminars
Nov 15: Rice Grain Moxa (Tonetsukyu) Workshop IN‑PERSON LAW & ETHICS
3.0 CEUs • Tendervine Health Education, Berkeley, CA
Nov 15: Jin Shin Jyutsu Basic Seminar IN‑PERSON
35.0 CEUs • Jin Shin Jyutsu SMB, Boston, MA
Nov 16: Straight to the Point: Ashi Acupuncture for Knee and Leg Pain from 50+ Years of Experience
5.0 CEUs • Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine
Nov 16: Traumatic Brain Injury and Acupuncture
2.0 CEUs • Healthy Seminars
Nov 16: Reading the Axis: Cases Across the Neuroendocrine System
2.0 CEUs • Yo San University
NEXT WEEK
Nov 18: Shang Han Lun Qi Dynamics
12.0 CEUs • Institute for the Study of Vital Currents in Ancient Medicine
Nov 19: The Role of Fascia and the Interstitium in Facial Structure, Function, and Aesthetic Outcomes
1.0 CEUs • Net of Knowledge
Nov 21: TCM Gynecology: Acupuncture and Herbal Approaches to Women’s Health
4.0 CEUs • Qualiherb
Nov 21: Foundations of External Therapy: Cupping, Gua Sha, and Topicals in Orthopedic Practice (Nov 21–22) IN‑PERSON
16.0 CEUs • Yo San University, Los Angeles, CA
Nov 21: The Living Boundary: The Po, the Wei Qi & Healing Our Relationship with the World IN‑PERSON
6.0 CEUs • Daoist Healing Arts, Asheville, NC
Nov 22: Luo-Collaterals: Advanced Practice, Part 4
4.0 CEUs • Healthy Seminars
Nov 22: Treating Eczema and Psoriasis with Chinese Medicine
3.0 CEUs • Net of Knowledge
Nov 22: Acupuncture Points for Medical Conditions
4.0 CEUs • HealthCMi
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FROM THE EDITOR
Kim Neumann, LAc
Kim has worked on behalf of California’s acupuncture profession for 25 years. She ran her own practice in Oakland and San Francisco. Before acupuncture, she worked in marketing, publishing and business operations, and she has taught CEUs on acupuncture marketing.
