Sports Acupuncture & Dry Needling for the Athlete
April 7, 2021Derived from Chinese Medicine, Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling are holistic health techniques that have been used across the world to treat a variety of medical conditions. After the 2008 Olympics in China, these methods of therapy have become widely popular with athletes. Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling have been proven to freely enhance and heighten the energy level of an athlete, benefit post-workout recovery, and help advance overall performance levels.
Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling are methods of encouraging the body towards genuine healing and help aid in comprehensive functioning. The modern scientific explanation of these hands on techniques is that needling acupuncture points promote the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by needling results in triggering the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.
For athletes, needling usage is very effective with reducing pain and increasing the ability for the body to heal by decreasing inflammation, relaxing muscles and relieving spasms. In his book, Biomedical Acupuncture for Pain Management: An Integrative Approach, Dr. Ma states that Dry Needling can improve motor function and modulate pain locally and centrally. The World Health Organization also recognizes acupuncture as a safe and effective treatment for injuries, orthopedic conditions, and acute and chronic pain.
Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling have also been shown to speed up recovery time after intense workouts, which is great news for athletes who train for long hours. In 2008, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that participants who received treatment for muscle soreness 24 and 48 hours after they exercised to exhaustion reported significantly less pain than those who did not receive the treatment. Having regular treatments in between training sessions and after a race minimizes muscle fatigue and pain, increases energy, and advances rapid recovery.
With injury treatment and prevention, needling fosters neurological and cardiovascular balance, which supports homeostasis in the body and therefore preventing injury. If an injury does come about, treatments regulate nerve conduction and microcirculation in the area of inflammation to speed up the healing process.
When it comes to athletes, pain management and speedy recovery are two areas that are most associated with Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling. These effects are very rewarding to an athlete trying to manage training sessions and having a go-to method to help improve their pain management. Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling have commonly been used as a performance advantage to allow athletes to stay stronger as they push their bodies to the max in order to achieve peak physical performance. This age old practice is gaining more popularity by the minute. Athletes from various backgrounds are in agreement that there is benefit to their bodies with the usage of Sports Acupuncture and Dry Needling. This well-rounded approach is just another tool to help improve their athletic performance.
Sources:
Waite, Laura. “The Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Athletes.” ACTIVE.com, Active.com, 26 June 2013, www.active.com/health/articles/the-benefits-of-acupuncture-therapy-for-athletes?page=1.
