Acupuncture and Sports Injury
By Kelsey Jackson, Registered Acupuncturist
When people think about needles, they often think about vaccinations and blood tests. This can instantly get the palm sweat flowing and the heart beating a little faster. This is very common, and of course understandable. One thing people tend to forget or may not know is that the needles acupuncturists use are about 3 times the size of a human hair and you can fit about ten acupuncture needles inside one hypodermic needle. Phew, what a relief!
Treating sports injuries with acupuncture is very effective and can help to speed up the healing process of both acute and chronic injuries. Acupuncture, which is based in the eastern healing traditions of Chinese medicine, also has many attributes that can be explained when looked at through the spectacles of western medicine.
Acupuncture dates back thousands of years and is based on energy, or “Qi”, flowing through twelve meridian pathways in the body. Acupuncturists are working to balance the flow of energy in these pathways. We try to figure out what the root of the problem is, create a diagnosis based on Traditional Chinese Medicine principals, and then come up with a treatment plan based on our diagnosis. For example, there might be many reasons to why a stubborn injury won’t heal. One reason might be that the digestion is weakened, if the nutrients are not absorbing as efficiently as they should, then the tissues aren’t receiving the nutrients they need to heal. Another reason might be lack of sleep. The body does much of it’s healing when we are asleep so it is very important that we are getting the rest we need. Stress is another major culprit, often causing both digestive and sleep disorders. These are just a few examples of things your Acupuncturist will assess when you come in for treatment. By bringing the body back into a state of balance, we can achieve better results in treating the injury itself.
When treating an injury locally there are many different techniques we use. Motor point needling is a contemporary style of Acupuncture, and one of the more popular techniques used in treating injury. It is the practice of needling into the most excitable area of the muscle, where the nerves innervate, and eliciting a twitch response. This in turn encourages the short tightened muscle to relax and reset. Often we will treat the affected muscle group as well as the surrounding and opposing muscle groups, or all the muscles surrounding an affected joint. For example, when treating a hamstring strain, we would treat the hamstrings as well as the quadriceps and hip flexors. This not only releases the affected muscle, but also brings a surge of blood and energy into the entire area which helps increase circulation. The fresh blood brings nutrients to the area helping to speed up the healing process. This type of acupuncture is called IMS in physiotherapy practice.
During the treatment other modalities may be used such as Tui na (tway nah) or Chinese medical massage. This is a type of massage that combines deep tissue, acupressure, and many other techniques to break down scar tissue, loosen the muscles, and increase circulation. Cupping is another popular technique we use which involves the suction of either glass or plastic cups on the skin. This helps to draw toxins from the body and increase local blood flow. Electrical stimulation, and a warming herb called moxabustion, is also sometimes used depending on the ailment.
Your practitioner will go through an initial assessment with you to figure out the best course of treatment for your situation. In many cases people are pleasantly surprised by their first acupuncture session, and find themselves very relaxed for hours afterwards. Studies have shown that Serotonin is released in the brain during Acupuncture, which helps to promote relaxation and a general sense of wellbeing. This is why Acupuncture is so widely used in treating both depression and anxiety. In application to the athlete, this is great for someone who experiences performance anxiety or pre-race jitters. A treatment can not only benefit the body, but help to calm the mind as well.
The essence of Chinese Medicine is prevention. In medieval times the doctor did not get paid when his patients fell ill, he was paid to keep people healthy. This is often forgotten in today’s society where we are praised for our ability to multitask and can sometimes overwork ourselves into injury. Ideally acupuncture is used to KEEP our body healthy and performing at it’s best!
Some of the more common injuries seen in practice are: low back pain, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, whiplash, tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, muscle strains, and the list goes on. When combined with other therapies such as Active Release Technique or Rehabilitation exercises, Acupuncture can be a very effective addition to any treatment regimen and help heal that injury fast.
Kelsey is a registered acupuncturist practicing at MOVEO SPORT & REHABILITATION CENTRE. Kelsey is an avid athlete herself and favours the local mountains for some great snowboarding. If you have any questions regarding Kelsey’s method of treatment feel free to email her at kelsey@moveo.ca.
