On 26 October 2026, on the Ballon d’Or stage, Harry Kane made a point of publicly thanking a man the wider public knew little about: Dr Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco, his personal doctor since 2020. For those lucky enough to have learned from him, the name stands above all for a way of thinking: contemporary medical acupuncture, and the concept of neurofunctional acupuncture he developed.
By Jon Iturralde
The work behind the scenes
A sports physician born in Madrid, Dr Elorriaga directs the Contemporary Medical Acupuncture programme at McMaster University in Canada, where he is a clinical professor. His work with Harry Kane began after a severe hamstring injury. In his speech, the England captain paid tribute to “the work behind the scenes, on the treatment table”, the work nobody sees and that nonetheless makes performance possible.
A vision: painful movement dysfunction
What sets Dr Elorriaga’s vision apart is its starting point. Pain is not treated as an isolated symptom, but as the expression of a movement dysfunction: a nervous system that protects, muscles that switch off or tighten, a movement that deteriorates. The reasoning starts from neuroanatomy and functional assessment, and works back to the segment, nerve or muscle that keeps the problem going.
Neurofunctional acupuncture follows from this reading. There is nothing esoteric about it: points are chosen according to the anatomy of the nervous system – peripheral nerves, motor points, spinal segments. The needles, often combined with low-intensity electrical stimulation, are used to modulate pain, restore motor control and support tissue recovery. Then movement is reassessed, immediately.
What the studies show
An individual patient data meta-analysis pooling 39 trials and more than 20,000 patients observed an effect of acupuncture on chronic pain, greater than that of sham acupuncture and persisting over time (Vickers et al., Journal of Pain, 2018).
My teacher
It was with Dr Elorriaga that I completed, in 2018, my training in McMaster University’s Contemporary Medical Acupuncture programme. He was, and remains, my teacher, my mentor and my master. Since then I have applied his vision every day and built it into my own clinical concepts. Beyond technique, I learned a discipline from him: examine before treating, understand before acting, and measure what you change. His ability to link a painful movement to its neurological logic, simply and precisely, profoundly changed the way I understand pain, movement and recovery.
Seeing him honoured at the Ballon d’Or today, alongside Harry Kane, does not surprise those who have watched him work. For his students it is a quiet pride, and confirmation that a rigorous, patient, science-based approach has its place at the highest level.
At ITU Clinic
Neurofunctional acupuncture is one of our tools, alongside invasive physiotherapy and regenerative therapies. It is offered after assessment, within a defined care plan, for athletes and everyday patients alike.
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from traditional Chinese acupuncture?
Contemporary medical acupuncture uses the same needles but different reasoning: points are chosen according to neuroanatomy and functional assessment, not meridians. The effect is reassessed on movement at every session.
Does it hurt?
The needles are very fine. You sometimes feel heaviness or a small jolt, a sign that the targeted nerve or muscle is responding. Electrical stimulation is adjusted to the patient’s comfort.
Are the needles safe?
We use only sterile, single-use needles. Medical history, current treatments and contraindications are checked at the assessment.
For which problems?
Muscle and tendon pain, back and neck pain, motor-control problems after injury, athletic recovery. Acupuncture is always part of a care plan, with exercise.
How many sessions?
The number depends on the situation and the response observed. Reassessing movement before and after each session guides the rest of the treatment.
Further reading
- Back and neck: our approach
- Ultrasound-guided invasive physiotherapy
- Ice hockey: what the NHL teaches us
- Book an appointment in Nyon
This article is for information only. It does not replace a medical consultation.
References
- Vickers A.J. et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. Journal of Pain. 2018;19(5):455-474.