Sports Injuries

Acupuncture and Sports Injuries

We are dedicated to the prevention, improvement and rehabilitation of Sports Injuries and musculoskeletal problems. We experience a wide and varied patient demographic: from the Olympic athlete to recreational golfer; from the city worker to industrial athlete; from the perpetually active teenager to retiree.

Over recent years a large number of trials and studies have been published in many countries showing the effectiveness of acupuncture in helping sports injuries. Nowadays an increasing number of sports professionals, from top football clubs to Olympic gold medallists, use acupuncture to aid healing of injuries and improve fitness.

What can cause Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries are commonly caused by overuse, direct impact, or the application of force that is greater than the body part can structurally withstand. An injury that occurs as a direct result of some sudden event, such as a sprained knee caused by twisting awkwardly, is known as an acute injury. In contrast, an injury that is caused by overusing the same muscle group or joints is known as a chronic injury. These may include:

· Sports Injuries

· Strains and Sprains

· Neck and Back Pain

· Work Related Injuries

· Joint Pain and Arthritis 

Whether your sports injury is acute or chronic, if pain persists, you should seek a specialist’s opinion because you may be hurt more severely than you think. For example, what seems like an ankle sprain may actually be a bone fracture.

What are typical Sports Injuries?

There are hundreds of different types of sports injuries, but certain body parts tend to be more prone to damage than others. Poor fitness, technique and structural abnormalities also contribute to the development of sports injuries. Prevention being better than cure, we encourage screening for physiological weaknesses that may lead to injury, and help you work with physios, trainers and coaches to eliminate them.

How Acupuncture can help with Sports Injuries?

Acupuncture is used effectively to reduce the pain and inflammation of sports injuries. It has also been shown to increase the range of motion and accelerate healing time. Acupuncture can be employed at any stage of an injury: to prevent, to treat acute pain, swelling and spasms, and to address conditions that make athletes vulnerable to re-injury. Studies have shown that acupuncture increases blood circulation to specific areas of the body, which not only promotes healing of sports injuries but could also boost athletic performance.

Sports injuries often tend to be strains, sprains, and other conditions that are actually non-traumatic. Most of the injury cases have been due to a Chi and blood stagnation caused by trauma. When an area of the body is injured, then it may swell up, become painful, hot to the touch, inflamed, tender, stiff, and the muscles may cramp or even spasm. These reactions to trauma or injury are normal, even if uncomfortable and downright painful.

Acupuncture through its delicate balancing ability, is able to work wonders with pain relief of stiff and tight muscles, joint pain and tenderness, helping to reduce swelling and inflammation of the injured area. It is also very effective at stopping muscle spasms and cramping, and throbbing sensations. It also speeds up the healing process by increasing the flow of Chi and blood into the affected area.

Acupuncture for sports injuries and performance enhancement does not have harmful side effects. It is natural and it is safe.

Tui –Na

In conjunction with acupuncture we find that results are further improved with Tui Na, the Chinese Medicine deep tissue massage. Our practitioners spend a great deal of time and care working on affected areas, breaking up scarring that may have occurred over many years in muscles and connective tissue or fascia. Improved blood circulation is beneficial for virtually all health conditions.

Intense exercise like running can cause much tension in the muscles and other soft tissues; overuse or repetitive movements over a long period of time without sufficient recovery time can damage tissue. This can impair circulation, resulting in a deficient supply of nutrients and inadequate removal of wastes or toxins. This in turn can lead to illness, structural and functional problems, or slower healing. Recognition of the importance of blood circulation is implicit in all forms of massage and acupuncture.

Massage also has a profound effect on the circulation of lymphatic fluid which plays a key role in ridding the body of wastes, toxins and pathogens. The chronic tension or trauma which is often associated with sports injuries can result in the build-up of toxic by-products of normal metabolism. Hands-on techniques help move the toxins through the body’s normal pathways of release and elimination.

Many running or other similar injuries can also lead to chronic muscular tension which can then accumulate and impair the body’s structure and function. The musculoskeletal structure of the body affects function and function affects structure. Both can be adversely altered by physical repetitive trauma. Massage therapy of the nature we practice at our clinics in conjunction with acupuncture can help restore healthy structure and function, thereby allowing better circulation, greater ease of movement, wider range of movement, more flexibility, and the release of chronic patterns of pain and discomfort.