Measuring the Effects of Acupuncture on Muscle Stiffness with Shear Wave Elastography

Acupuncture has been found to relieve muscle stiffness effectively, especially after physical exercise.1 2 Previous studies have measured muscle stiffness pre- and post-acupuncture using a pressure scale1 or ‘muscle hardness meter’.2 Both of these methods estimate muscle stiffness based on the pressure required to compress muscle. Limitations of these devices include potential inaccuracy of measurement, as the distribution of muscle stiffness may be heterogeneous, as well as inability to visualise the muscle. Furthermore, changes in muscle stiffness during acupuncture needling cannot be evaluated. An ultrasound-based shear wave imaging technique has recently been developed to measure muscle stiffness.3 Benefits of using ultrasound include the ability to visualise the muscle under investigation and to quantify changes in muscle stiffness over time. Ultrasound as an imaging modality has many potential uses in acupuncture research and education,4 and can be successfully used to explore its physiological and physical effects.5 The aim of this study was to measure the effects of acupuncture needling on muscle stiffness using shear wave elastography. ### Acupuncture needle insertion We performed acupuncture needle insertion on two healthy volunteers (one male, one female) who were part of the study team. The acupuncture point used …