Elite athletes, from Kobe Bryant to Aaron Rogers, have used acupuncture to help with injuries and improve their performance. This should come as no surprise, as acupuncture has been used to treat a wide variety of conditions for millennia, while sports acupuncture, in particular, has been very popular in the United States for a few decades.
However, just because something is popular does not mean that it is effective. So, what is sports acupuncture and how does it work? What are the benefits of sports acupuncture, specifically? How effective is it? In this article, we will talk about everything you wish to know about sports acupuncture in detail, starting with how it differs from regular acupuncture.
What Makes Sports Acupuncture Unique?
In its most basic form, acupuncture is the practice of shallowly inserting fine, thin, acupuncture needles into specific areas of your body. According to modern medicine, this can stimulate the body to produce beneficial hormones, including pain- and stress-reducing hormones, improve oxygenation and blood flow, reduce inflammation, promote healing, as well as help mitigate the symptoms of many illnesses and diseases.
On the other hand, as acupuncture originates from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), these practitioners believe that acupuncture balances and restores the proper flow of Qi, a person’s life energy, which has both physical and mental effects.
Many modern acupuncturists believe in both – that acupuncture functions on the level of restoring the flow of Qi and that it has visible, measurable effects that can be studied via modern medicine, which has been shown to be true by many scientific studies.
Regardless of the discussion on the exact mechanisms behind acupuncture, there is no doubt that there are many short- and long-term benefits of acupuncture. It can help with pain management and mobility, stimulate natural healing processes, help treat symptoms of depression and PTSD, reduce stress and anxiety, help with irregular menstrual cycles and manage PMS symptoms, and even help with fertility issues.
Sport acupuncture functions based on these same principles, it is simply a type of acupuncture that prioritizes techniques that promote physical restoration, rehabilitation, and pain management. It can be done in conjunction with sports massages or cupping to increase the effectiveness of the treatments, while professional acupuncturists will often work with orthopedists when the situation calls for it.
What Can Sports Acupuncture Help With?
One of the most important facets of sports acupuncture is how it can help with lingering injuries. Pain management acupuncture has been studied in detail, and it can mitigate pain from muscular, skeletal, connective tissue, and joint injuries. Pain relief can also help with improving the range of motion of an athlete after an injury, potentially speeding up the healing process.
Additionally, inflammation is the natural response to injury, however, excessive inflammation can slow down healing and even cause additional tissue damage. Sports acupuncture can reduce inflammation, thereby allowing the body to heal more quickly, on top of stimulating blood flow to the targeted regions of the body. All of these factors combined allow athletes to potentially recover more quickly from injuries by the use of sports acupuncture.
Independent of existing injuries, sports acupuncture can also help athletes with training and potentially help prevent future injuries. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a regular result of strenuous training, but one that can hinder an athlete from following their schedule. Acupuncture can speed up recovery from DOMS, allowing a person to train more intensely, with fewer rest days.
Another benefit of sports acupuncture is how it may help prevent future injuries by correcting muscle imbalances. Low proprioception (a person’s sense of body position, force, and movement) can increase the chance of injury. Muscle imbalances, like knotted muscles, can cause issues with the surrounding muscles, causing low proprioception.
Sports acupuncture can relax muscles by targeting the knots in muscle tissue, allowing an athlete to regain natural, balanced movement, and lower the chance of injury. To summarize, sports acupuncture can help with:
- Pain management
- Recovery from injury
- Reducing inflammation
- Rehabilitation from training
- Preventing future injuries
An Additional Benefit of Sports Acupuncture
An additional, potential benefit of sports acupuncture is how it can help improve an athlete’s performance, independent of any curative properties. Acupuncture can improve circulation and, consequently, oxygenation to muscle tissue, which can improve a person’s physical capabilities.
In particular, some studies have indicated that sports acupuncture can increase muscular strength and power. However, this area of sports acupuncture has not been as extensively studied as the other effects of acupuncture and so more research is needed to make any definitive claims. On the other hand, acupuncture for mental health has been extensively studied.
It can help with stress and anxiety, mitigate symptoms of depression, and even treat insomnia. While not directly related to physical performance, it can be expected that an athlete less burdened by emotional and mental health issues will have better results, thus, acupuncture can contribute to improved athletic performance in this way.
What Is the Most Effective Way to Get Treatments?
We have discussed all of the potential benefits of sports acupuncture, however, what should you look for when you are seeking treatments? First and foremost, always visit a licensed and experienced acupuncture specialist. In California, an acupuncturist must obtain a state license issued by California’s Acupuncture Board and renew the license every two years.
Other US states have their own authorized oversight bodies, while the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine issues acupuncture certifications on the federal level, which are required in some states in addition to the state license. Besides looking for a licensed acupuncturist, your best option is to look for an experienced one who will provide personalized treatments.
Sports acupuncture is not a one-size-fits-all solution. In some cases, it may be the primary treatment, while in others, it is most effective when used as a complementary therapy. Depending on your situation, acupuncturists may work independently or together with other medical providers, such as orthopedic surgeons, sports massage therapists, or chiropractors.
Additionally, the best acupuncturists take a holistic approach, so they may not only treat your symptoms but also attempt to treat related symptoms and the underlying causes. All of this requires a thorough medical examination before a specific treatment plan is suggested.
Specialized Acupuncture Clinic in Beverly Hills
BH Acuhealth Clinic is a licensed acupuncture clinic in Beverly Hills run by Dr. Mitra Daneshrad, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with over 24 years of experience who specializes in pain management and orthopedic medicine, in addition to women’s health and reproductive medicine.
We provide everything we listed above, and more. At our clinic, we take a holistic approach and we will develop a customized treatment plan that is best suited for your unique circumstances. When needed, we will work with orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and chiropractors to provide you with the best medical care possible.
Don’t let uncertainty hold you back. Schedule an appointment and let’s work together to find the optimal solution to any lingering problems you may have.
