Sports Acupuncture
Our goal at Acupuncture wellness space is to help runners, athletes, swimmers and bodybuilders optimize their performance levels and reduce the risk of injuries. Pain of musculoskeletal origin commonly seen in sports injuries are due to overuse of a joint, muscle or tendon, impact trauma or degenerative conditions.
Methodology :
- Acupuncture therapy works well for pain relief by reducing inflammation, calming the nervous system, regulating pain signals to the brain, stimulating the body's release of endogenous pain killers and aiding tissue regeneration. This leads to improved range of movement of the affected joint as well as improved functionality. It also helps in enhancing the overall well-being.
- Motor point (where a motor nerve meets the muscle) needling is a technique to enhance athletic performance. In common sports injuries, gentle insertion of an acupuncture needle at specific motor points essentially resets a contracted muscle at the point of its nerve attachment, allowing for relaxation of the muscle, improved joint function and less pain.
- Depending on the age, severity, associated risk factors and assessment of your biomechanics, treatment may be a combination of needling, electro acupuncture, cupping or gua sha along with postural corrections and customized recovery routine.
- Eventually we help you to chart out an appropriate maintenance plan to ensure that pain and injuries don’t recur.
- In the long term, regular acupuncture sessions are an excellent preventative measure. It helps improve performance, strength, flexibility and uncover hidden weaknesses and imbalances to prevent re-injury.
- A well-placed needle sets off a cascade of events:
- Through the neurohumoral pathway; producing a signal that travels along the spinal cord to the brain, triggering a release of neurotransmitters such as beta-endorphins, serotonin and enkephalins. (Pomeranz, 1987, Zijlstra 2003, Zhao 2008, Cheng 2009).
- Reduction of inflammation by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors thereby reducing pain. (Kim 2008, Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003).
- Through enhancing local microcirculation, by increasing the diameter and blood flow velocity of peripheral arterioles. It can repair muscle injuries and strengthen weak muscles or relax tense ones. (Komori 2009).
- Due to the concentrated placement of acupoints around the joints, it can influence the stimulation of nerve growth factor and bone growth factors; thereby facilitating tissue regeneration. (Gh, He, Ruan Jw, Zeng Ys, X. Zhou, Y. Ding, and Zhou Gh, 2015)
As per Classical Chinese Medicine, regular Acupuncture sessions in the long run promote production and circulation of Qi, blood and body fluids as well as aid the transformation process by eliminating toxins through sweat, urine and faeces. This, in turn optimises immunity, improves appetite, energy levels and sleep, regularises bowel movements and helps manage stress better.
The safety profile of acupuncture is excellent, with very few adverse events when performed by a trained practitioner.
As no two patients are alike, the duration of the treatment vastly depends on the patient’s age, health habits and the severity of the condition.