With the arrival of spring and the promise of warmer temperatures, most people are ready to get out of the house and enjoy more outdoor activities. Whether you’re looking forward to golfing, tennis, bicycling, or running, spring is an ideal time to dive back in to all your favorite pursuits. However, after being cooped up for the winter, all of this activity can also lead to the occasional sport injury such as sprains, fractures, rotator cuff tears, and knee pain. There are also repetitive stress injuries, caused by excessive movements or prolonged use of muscles, tendons, or joints. Think tennis elbow, tendonitis, and knee pain, to name a few. Fortunately, acupuncture can help treat these conditions, so your outdoor plans aren’t derailed!
How can acupuncture treat sports injuries and repetitive stress injuries?
Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in reducing the pain and inflammation of sports injuries. Inflammation is the body’s normal response to injury and the fluids, blood, white blood cells, etc. that surround the injury are necessary to trigger the first stage of healing. It’s also very important to reduce swelling within the first few hours of injury. Acupuncture increases the flow of fresh blood, fluids, and qi to the injured area, speeding up the healing process so that damaged cells and tissues can repair faster.
Acupuncture also relaxes muscles, stops spasms, and minimizes bruising, so you are able to be active again sooner. It has also been shown to increase range of motion. Acupuncture can benefit sports injuries at any stage: to prevent, to treat acute pain, and to address conditions that make people vulnerable to re-injury. Some sports injuries commonly treated by acupuncture include pulled muscles, neck pain, shoulder issues, lower back strain, hamstring strain, runner’s knee, tendonitis, and arch pain. The focus of acupuncture is not only to treat the injury, but also to treat any underlying conditions that may predispose you to injuries. This is especially important when treating chronic or recurring injuries that interfere with life activities or athletic performance.
If you’re suffering from a sports injury, contact Brad Hill Wellness at 301-639-9759 to schedule a consultation. Located in Bethesda and Silver Spring, MD, I’ve worked with people throughout the Washington, DC area to ease sports injury discomfort, speed recovery, and get them back to doing the activities they love!
