Can Acupuncture Help Athletes?

All athletes, whether professional or amateur, highly competitive or just recreational, can benefit from utilizing acupuncture as part of their training regime. If you want that competitive edge without the need to resort to banned P.E.D.’s, then acupuncture is something that is worth investigating.

We have a bio-electrical force or energy known as Qi (chi) that integrates with the body and mind like an auxiliary nervous system. By adjusting the flow and balance of energy in this system, through the insertion of very thin, steel needles into key points along the energy pathways, the body can be brought back into homeostasis or equilibrium.

There are three primary ways that acupuncture is often used:

1) Recovery from injury or disease.

a) Pain relief – both acute and chronic.

b) Speed healing process.

c) Organ disease, imbalance, or dysfunction

2) Improved organ/system function.

a) Acupuncture has a profound effect on the circulatory and neurological systems.

b) Improved sleep.

c) Decrease in stress, anxiety, and depression

d) Improved digestion/elimination and weight control.

e) Improved immune system functioning.

f) Longevity – staying well

3) Assisting the athlete

a) Improved recovery time from: fatigue, D.O.M.S., trauma, intense training, competition

b) Speed healing of sprains, strains, trigger points, and muscle spasms.

c) Enhance Athletic Performance.

i) Increase flexibility/pliability

ii) Increase strength – increase the energy being supplied to the muscles

iii) Increase power (speed x strength)

iv) Increase endurance – increase the blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the muscles

An athlete can utilize acupuncture in a variety of ways. One way is to use it to help prepare the body to operate at peak efficiency by getting treated before the competition. This can be a couple of hours or a couple of days before, depending upon the athlete, and how fast they respond to the treatment. Another common way to make use of acupuncture is to receive it as port of the normal training program to help the athlete to recover from training and competition and to focus on improving athletic performance. The goal is to create a powerful, graceful, athletic machine.

To reach the next level: Bring the power of Qi into your training and competition.