It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right? People who play any kind of organized sport probably know this better than anyone, because they repeatedly stress their muscles and joints, and sometimes move so fast, that they neglect (or forget) how to align form and control body mechanics. them correctly.
Sports injuries differ from others in that most people want to recover as quickly as possible so they can get back on the field, court and in the game. While exercise and physical activity are encouraged from a health perspective, it’s important to listen to your body when you’re in pain and telling you to slow down or stop.
One way to help your body recover after a sports injury is through exercise acupuncture. While many sportsmen will seek to use the tried and true RICE method; rest, ice, compression, and elevation, sometimes that just isn’t enough.
Others will include the use of painkillers, but if used long-term, they run the risk of overtaxing their liver and endocrine systems and in the worst case scenario, can become addicted to the painkillers they are prescribed.
What is starting to gain wider acceptance in the world of sports injuries is the use of acupuncture as an effective method of treatment. Both traumatic injuries (caused by receiving a sudden punch or strike during a match) and chronic injuries (related to overuse and overplay) are well suited for this type of homeopathic treatment.
Acupuncture uses the body’s meridian system and suggests correlations between organs and places of pain, for some people, the most effective and efficient way to find true pain relief. And while recovering quickly is a relative term, pain relief is often enjoyed more quickly with acupuncture than with traditional pain medications.
What types of sports injuries are best for acupuncture?
Martial artists have known about the benefits of acupuncture for centuries. It is a method used to treat stubborn, incessant, often chronic pain that refuses to respond to anything else. Acupuncture has also proven itself as an impressive treatment for muscle strains, pulls, and other injuries.
It seems that modern athletes are beginning to embrace the idea that acupuncture, while untraditional and unorthodox compared to our “prescription fill” society, works.
Apart from pain relief, another attractive feature of this kind of homeopathic regimen is that it can be used alongside traditional Western medicine. Acupuncture cannot guarantee a tennis player a place back on the court or a promotion on ice hockey. However, acupuncture can reduce the intensity of pain and the emotional distress associated with it, ultimately bringing pain levels to a much more manageable level.
In short, acupuncture is a phenomenal treatment for any sports injury that can be treated effectively. Unlike medication which must be taken at certain times and between certain hours, acupuncture, for some reason, can be used as often as needed without the risk of overdose.
This also makes it a valuable resource in the pain relief toolbox for athletes and exercisers.
Acupuncture as a holistic remedy for fast healing of sports injuries
For too long, society has defined our aches and pains in a vacuum. If your knee hurts, then you are taking care of your knee. And if your shoulder hurts, you deal with it too. Acupuncture, with its emphasis on healing the mind, body, and spirit, while encouraging one’s body to heal itself, presents a very different way of thinking.
When we acknowledge that in fact, our body and the experiences that each part goes through, are all connected, we begin to understand how important it is that we treat our body and spirit as one unit. To feel whole, you must understand your experiences as they relate to you in your entire being.
That includes your injury, the sport you play, why you play it, and the urge to get back into it. Acupuncture may seem a little “out there” to some, but what it does for athletes and the layperson alike, is piece together a big picture filled with healing.
