Whether you are a professional, college, or high school athlete (or maybe just a weekend warrior), you know that injuries can happen when you least expect it. Sometimes, it’s a traumatic injury because your body was pushed beyond its limit and sometimes, the injury comes from simple overuse — and every athlete wants to get back on the field, court, or track as quickly as possible.

Many athletes have discovered that acupuncture is an ideal treatment to augment recovery, speed up healing, and reduce pain. Acupuncture basically works like this. When you suffer an injury, the flow of energy (also known as Qi) to and from the area becomes disrupted which causes pain and stagnation. Blood circulation can also be limited which can extend healing times, prolong swelling and bruising, which all combine to most people taking more pain medications.

Acupuncture is used to reestablish the flow of Qi, or energy, to the injured area. This all helps to increase circulation, blood flow and to remove cellular waste from the injury. Your acupuncturist might also add herbal medicine to your acupuncture treatments to help alleviate pain. Herbs used for injuries can be applied topically or taken internally, depending on the type of injury sustained.

According to the Pacific College of Health and Science, “Specific acupuncture styles and techniques were developed to stop pain and dramatically increase recovery time. This tradition continues today, and its use has expanded into competitive athletics that result in similar injuries. Pain is one of the most common complaints in sports injuries followed by reduced function. The whole approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture to the treatment of pain and reduced function is to see it as a disorder in the body’s natural state. The treatment is geared toward rectifying the disorder and restoring internal harmony.”

“Recent studies show that acupuncture effectively treats sports injuries such as strains, sprains, neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle pain, swollen muscles and shin splints. In addition to treating the injury, Acupuncture can also improve performance and give athletes a competitive edge.”

Because of this “competitive edge,” many professional sports teams have acupuncturists on staff to help shorten healing time and resolve overuse injuries (i.e., throwing/pitching, tennis elbow/shoulder, track and field injuries, etc.). However, you don’t have to be a competitive athlete to benefit from regular acupuncture treatments.

A 2015 study from Zhengzhou University examined the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine style acupuncture and herbal treatments on amateur and professional athletes suffering from motor impairments due to physical training. The study ultimately found that the “total effective rate for the acupuncture only group was 70% and the herbal medicine group achieved a 62% effective rate.” Not bad results at all. However, the group receiving both acupuncture and herbal medicine achieved a total effective rate of just more than 84%. The researchers concluded that “acupuncture combined with herbs is highly effective for the treatment of physical activity induced motility impairments. The combined therapeutic approach is more effective than either treatment modality as a standalone procedure.”

If you are training for a triathlon or marathon, or you are a regular at the tennis courts or the golf course, you might want to consider regular acupuncture treatments to keep those injuries at bay. There are different preventative measures to stop injuries before they start as well as recovery plans if you have already had an acute traumatic injury.

Don’t wait, make an appointment today!

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Acupuncture stimulates energy pathways in the body, thus enhancing blood flow. This form of medicine has been practiced for thousands of years and has been specifically used to increase circulation for centuries. At the bedrock of this medicine are the techniques used to stimulate sympathetic responses resulting in blood vessel dilation and increased blood flow.

Poor Circulation Causes & Symptoms

A lack of blood circulation can lead to a whole host of other health issues. Our blood carries vital nutrients throughout our bodies including oxygen, nutrients absorbed from food, and even hormones, without which we would be depleted and our organs would ultimately stop functioning properly altogether.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is just one consequence of poor circulation and it is estimated that nearly 1 million Americans suffer from this each year, with more than 5% of people 70 or older diagnosed each year.

Causes of poor circulation can include excessive cholesterol in the arteries, obesity, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, stress and poor lifestyle choices like improper diet and little to no exercise. Modern medicine treats poor circulation with prescription medication, angioplasty, stents, and in the most severe cases, amputation.

Signs of poor circulation are not limited to:

• varicose veins
• muscle cramps
• swelling/edema
• sores
• numbness and tingling
• cold or discolored hands and feet

Acupuncture to the Rescue

Acupuncture doesn’t just treat the symptoms that accompany poor circulation, but seeks to address the root cause of the problem; modifications in diet can also address certain symptom concerns. 

A 2016 study looked at acupuncture and its effect on neuroregeneration in ischemic stroke. Researchers concluded that acupuncture was shown to “activate relevant brain regions and regulate multiple signaling pathways that lead to excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, neuronal death, and survival after interruption of blood supply.” This study also found that acupuncture may play a key part in stroke preventive strategy as well. Other studies have also found acupuncture to play a positive role in increasing blood flow.

If you are suffering from poor circulation, call me and set up an evaluation. A thorough health history will determine just how acupuncture can help you! 

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Healthy blood circulation is a vital component of life for human beings. Without proper blood flow, life would cease to exist. Blood isn’t the only thing that’s important, it’s what the blood is carrying that makes circulation so important. Blood carries fresh oxygen, hormones and nutrients that we absorb from our food. Without these components, the organs and tissues of the body become depleted, weakened and eventually stop functioning. Any blockages in the veins and arteries can deprive the brain and the rest of the body from the needed oxygen, which can then lead to a plethora of other medical issues.

A Blood Flow Overview

Poor circulation is a problem that affects thousands of people around the world, and  decreased circulation is frequently referred to as a silent killer. Many people assume that blood circulation issues aren’t a worry that needs to be prioritized until it’s too late and gets overlooked for years. Poor blood flow can cause pain, numbness, tingling, cold hands/feet and even heart rhythm irregularities.

Another complication of poor circulation is the possibility of blood clots. Blood clots can be very dangerous. They can dislodge and travel to the heart, lungs or brain and block major blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

There are many causes of poor circulation including excessive cholesterol buildup in the arteries, obesity, diabetes, poor lifestyle choices, improper diet, smoking, alcoholism, pinched nerves, bacterial and viral infections and even excessive stress. The symptoms of poor circulation include weakness of the limbs, loss of sensation, extreme sensitivity, tingling, numbness, burning sensation and pain. If circulation issues are left untreated, it can eventually lead to the tissues turning black and dying, which is then a case for amputation.

Modern medicine treats poor circulation using prescription medications, angioplasty, surgical placement of stents and even amputation. All of these treatments can have serious side effects and any time surgery is done, there will be down time for recovery that may be extensive. But there are alternatives too.

TCM and Circulation

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical system that has been around for thousands of years. TCM uses modalities like acupuncture, acupressure and herbal formulations to treat the effects of poor circulation, while actually addressing the root cause too.

Acupuncture in particular is great for increasing blood circulation because the use of acupuncture needles stimulate nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a key regulator of localized circulation. Therefore, the more nitric oxide, the greater the blood flow and circulation to the tissues.

Acupuncture treatments have also been shown to stimulate the release of compounds like leukotrienes and antihistamines that both dilate the blood vessels, while also reducing swelling of tissues. This leads to increases in blood flow to the areas of the body deprived of oxygenated blood.

Another element of TCM is the use of herbs and herbal formulations. Foods, such as garlic, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper can be very beneficial for those suffering from poor circulation. However, we advise that adding these herbs needs to be discussed with a physician if you are already taking blood thinners for a circulatory problem.

Poor circulation can be painful and can even be deadly in some cases, but it doesn’t have to be. Ask me to find out how TCM and acupuncture can help you with your circulation problems.

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Everyone feels cold sometimes, but some people are perpetually chilled to a point where it interferes with their lives.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, there are two different kinds of cold in the body: full cold and empty cold. Full cold refers to a condition where there is an excess of cold-type energy in the body leading to a feeling of cold, and most likely other health problems, as well. The other kind of cold is empty cold. This means there is not an abundance of cold energy but rather a weakness of the warm fiery energy. When there isn’t enough warmth in the body, you will feel cold – not because the cold is so strong, but because you don’t have enough fire to balance it out.

Full cold

As mentioned, a full cold condition refers to an over-abundance of cold type energy in the body. This is often an acute case and may relate to being outside on cold weather, or exposing a certain area of your body to cold water, cold wind or cold weather. Symptoms really depend on the location of the cold in the body.

For instance, you might feel really cold when you are coming down with a cold virus. From a TCM perspective, this is cold being trapped under the skin or in certain channels on the back of the neck. Other associated symptoms may be a stiff neck, a runny nose or an occipital headache.

Full cold can also lodge itself in the digestive system – this may happen following a meal of cold food, drinking cold beverages in a cold environment or following exposure to very cold temperatures. Full cold in the digestive system can lead to a feeling of cold, as well as painful cramping, diarrhea or loose stools and pain in the abdomen.

Another common site of a full-cold condition is the uterus. This can be from exposure to cold temperatures such as swimming in cold water or sitting on a cold surface. Certain gynecological procedures can also introduce cold into the uterus. This type of cold manifests as a feeling of cold, particularly with the period and very painful cramping before and during the period. There will likely also be clots and possible problems with fertility.

All of these full-cold conditions can be avoided by limiting exposure to cold environments and cold foods. Also introducing heat internally through teas, soups and warming herbs can help.

Empty cold

In TCM, health is a state of balance between yin and yang. Yin refers to the cool, watery, passive parts of our physiology, whereas yang refers to the hot, fiery, active parts. When the yang energy is weakened, there isn’t enough fire to balance out the cool and watery yin. This leads to a pervasive feeling of cold that is hard to shake, even with lots of blankets and warm drinks. This is someone who always feels chilled, no matter what. There may be other symptoms, as well, such as loose stools, a lack of energy or motivation, wanting to sleep all the time or fluid accumulation. Yang deficiency cold often requires use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxa to treat appropriately.

While these are the main reasons for feeling cold, there are two other energetic imbalances that can also lead to feeling cold – Qi stagnation and blood deficiency.  When Qi is stuck, circulation is impaired and heat can’t get to our extremities effectively. This kind of cold often manifests as very cold hands and feet. It can be helped by regular exercise, reducing stress and limiting heavy foods. A weakness in the blood energy of the body leads to a low-grade constant feeling of cold less severe than a yang deficiency cold, but still pervasive and consistent. It can be helped with getting enough sleep, reducing stressors and eating a well-balanced diet of blood-nourishing foods.

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