The Effect of Acupuncture on Elbow Joint Sports Injuries Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Purpose. Elbow joint injuries are extremely common in most athletes. Athletes' chronic elbow injuries can involve multiple complex anatomical structures related to orthopedics. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the characteristics of magnetic resonance (MR) images of chronic sports injuries of the elbow joint and the influence of acupuncture treatment on MR images and clinical symptoms. Methods. A total of 60 elbow joints of 39 athletes from 15-25 years old were selected for coronal, sagittal, and axial MR scans to observe the image characteristics; 60 elbow joints were randomly divided into acupuncture group and control group and observed changes in MR images and clinical symptoms after acupuncture treatment. Results. After acupuncture treatment, the clinical symptoms were significantly improved. MR images showed that the elbow joint effusion was reduced, and the bone marrow edema was reduced. The effective rate of acupuncture treatment is as high as 100%, while the effective rate of the control group is only 40%. Acupuncture treatment has significantly improved the range of motion of the elbow joint. Conclusion. Acupuncture treatment can significantly relieve athletes' elbow joint pain and locking symptoms, improve joint range of motion, and is beneficial to recovery of special training and high-level competitive competitions. It is a sensitive, effective, and noninvasive method.