Sports injuries account for many orthopedic injuries. The most common sports injuries include: sprains, strains, fractures, sore and swollen muscles. For these types of injuries, Western medicine relies on the RICE method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Eastern medicine takes a different approach to treatment, instead relying on stimulating the body’s natural response to promote healing. In Chinese medicine, pain and injury is often a result of stagnation of blood or “qi” (vital energy). Acupuncture resolves stagnation by improving blood flow to and from affected areas, helping to decrease inflammation and heal the affected tissue. Studies also show that acupuncture releases endorphins and activates neurotransmitters that help alleviate pain.
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While traditional acupuncture is very effective at treating both acute and chronic sports injuries, Chinese medicine includes other modalities that may also prove effective. In addition to acupuncture, other techniques such as electric stimulation, cupping, gua sha, and therapeutic massage may also be used.
Electric stimulation for sport injuries
Electric stimulation or “E-stim” is often used in the treatment of sports injuries. E-stim helps to stimulate the needle, producing a stronger effect of the chosen acupuncture point. E-stim also helps to alleviate pain by further stimulating the neurotransmitters involved in reducing the pain response.
Cupping therapy
Cupping is great for treating sports injuries. Cupping will help to bring stagnant blood to the surface of the affected area, allowing healthy blood to recirculate and expedite the healing process. This technique is particularly great for sore and tight muscles, helping to reduce inflammation and relieve tension.
Gua Sha technique for sport injuries
Gua Sha is a scraping technique, which is often used in the treatment of chronic sports injuries. Gua Sha is helpful in breaking up scar tissue and tension within the muscle and fascia, relieving pain and improving mobility and range of motion.
Tui Na/Therapeutic massage
Therapeutic massage or “Tui Na” is a great stand-alone or adjunct treatment for sports injuries. Tui Na massage helps break down adhesions in the muscle fibers and restores circulation to the injured tissues aiding in recovery. Many Chinese medicine practitioners also use Chinese herbal liniments in combination with therapeutic massage to stimulate blood flow to the injured area and to reduce pain.
Should you ice a sports injury?
Eastern and Western medicine differ in opinion on this particular topic. Western medicine has long relied on the RICE method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation when treating sports injuries. While ice will help to bring down the swelling of an acute injury and reduce pain, it also inhibits blood flow to and from the area. In Chinese medicine, blood flow is essential to healing and this inhibition of blood flow may result in something we call “blood stagnation.” This may cause stiffness and pain and may slow down the healing process. While icing is usually ok for acute injury within 24 hours, most acupuncturists will then recommend acupuncture and topical herbal liniments to reduce inflammation and pain while continuing to promote blood flow to and from the injury site. As always, consult with your acupuncturist or doctor regarding any sports injury.
Physical Therapy for Sports Injuries
Injuries are an unfortunate side effect of sports, but they don’t have to sideline patients indefinitely. With the application of the latest clinical research, we help optimize the recovery process so athletes can reach their full potential. Whether competing in youth, collegiate, elite, or professional athletics, when an athlete is injured, they need a physical therapist with experience rehabilitating sports-related injuries. Common sports injuries may include shoulder and rotator cuff injuries, ligament sprains, muscle strains, tears in the knee (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL), tendonitis, bursitis, fractures, tennis elbow. Athletes undergo a thorough evaluation of their specific conditions, goals, and performance needs. Personalized treatment plans may focus on controlling pain and inflammation, recovering a proper range of motion, retraining and strengthening muscles, improving balance, or returning speed, endurance, and power to training. We often incorporate Pilates rehabilitation training into our plan of care, with a focus on developing core strength, increasing flexibility, improving posture and alignment, reducing stress, and enhancing sports performance.
Rehabilitation for Dancers and Gymnasts
Our physical therapists work with dance and gymnast populations, specifically, to help those athletes gain an edge at what they love to do. We use our experience and knowledge of science to create a path to success, no matter the patient’s health and fitness goals. We aren’t just physical therapists. We are former professional gymnasts ourselves, and parents of athletes. This unique perspective gives us an edge in the field of prevention and treatment of sports injuries. As a dancer or gymnast, at any level, when injured, these athletes need a physical therapist with experience in sports-related injuries. We understand the higher demands athletes place on their muscles and joints, and how to optimize speed, power, and agility.