If you’re an athlete, you might know what it’s like to suffer from pain, stiffness, swelling and injury. The causes of most of these obstacles to training can include trauma, inadequate warm-up and cool-down, improper form, overtraining, irregular diet and weather – which is often over-looked.
To alleviate the problem, common treatments such as excess application of ice and cold therapies are used, medications with side-effects are taken and injuries are sometimes ignored in hopes that they will go away. These approaches can all mask deeper imbalance, further exacerbating the original problem.
Acupuncture and East Asian medicine (EAM) create a competitive edge that is safe, time-tested, natural and drug- free.
Benefits that athletes and weekend warriors gain from acupuncture and EAM treatments include injury prevention and recovery, decreased pain, improved mental state and clarity of mind, improved flexibility and ROM, faster recovery time, decreased inflammation and overall enhanced performance.
EAM takes the entire person into consideration. Not only is the local area of discomfort examined but the whole body, mind and spirit are also addressed. Questions will be asked about sleep patterns, diet, allergies, focus and digestive health to provide a more accurate picture of how to treat you.
Initial treatments utilize distal points on the body or head. Follow up treatments may include local needling such as Dr. Lu Ding Huo’s oblique needling sports medicine techniques. Many effective acupuncture points have a strong correlation to trigger points and motor endpoints.
Chinese herbs, Tui na (Chinese medical massage) and corrective exercise may be prescribed as an adjunct to acupuncture. Herbs are used to continue healing at home between treatments. Tui na reinforces the acupuncture treatment and assists in breaking up fascial adhesions. Corrective exercises are given to restore proprioception, normal movement and balance in the affected area.
As seen in the 2010 Olympics all athletes can benefit from acupuncture; this includes cyclists, runners, swimmers, volleyball players, bodybuilders, wakeboarders, martial artists, dancers, golfers, yogis, and even moms who keep up with their kids and desk jockeys.
Dr. George Tabares 