Sports Injuries
Why acupuncture for sports injuries?
Treating musculoskeletal injuries (e.g., tight spasm-ing muscles) with acupuncture, especially when treating the motor point of a muscle, often provides remarkable results in one or two treatments. The motor point is the most electrically excitable area of the muscle. Treating the motor points, which are not exact anatomical (or typical acupuncture) points, seems to 'reset' the dysfunctional muscle spindle that is causing abnormal muscle function. In addition, acupuncture works directly by activating the humoral (blood) system to increase local blood circulation, which also promotes anti-inflammatory responses. The increased blood flow (and associated recapillarisation) helps heal tissue microtrauma and stimulates resorption of any connective tissue scar that may have formed.
What can I expect in a treatment for a muscle injury?
Deb may conduct a basic a orthopedic evaluation with brief manual muscle testing to identify the specific muscles involved. Treatments often include electric stimulation in addition to regular acupuncture needling. Heat therapy and post treatment muscle stretching may be applied, if appropriate.
Cupping and Moxibustion Therapy
What is Cupping?
In cupping therapy, small glass jars are applied to the skin and muscles to stimulate the body’s blood and circulatory systems. It involves heating the air inside a glass cup, which removes some of the air from the cup. The cup is then quickly placed on the skin, and the resulting vacuum pulls the skin part way into the cup. This creates a mild, tolerable pulling action on the skin and muscles. Many people describe it as feeling like a massage.
What are the benefits of Cupping?
During cupping therapy, in particular when ‘moving cupping’ is used, blood and lymph circulatory systems are stimulated to work more efficiently.
What does cupping treat?
Musculo-skeletal complaints: sore, stiff muscles, including repair of ligament and tendon injuries and improving joint function
Cough/colds
Headaches
Fatigue
Insomnia
Some paralysis
What is Moxibustion?
Moxibustion is an external form of heat therapy, usually used in conjunction with acupuncture, and involves burning mugwort floss over an acu-point or affected area of the body. Mugwort is the common name for Artemisia Vulgaris, which is a plant whose leaves are first dried, then aged, and then used in many forms, including moxa cones or sticks. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate and strengthen the blood and the life energy, or qi, of the body. It is most often used in patients with ‘coldness’ or ‘stagnation’. Indirect moxa provides a soothing gentle heat without causing damage to the skin that helps many patients with chronic pain conditions, functional disorders, or a variety of stress related illnesses.
What is meant by ‘cold constitution’ and why is it prevalent in today’s society?
More so than in the past, many patients seeking acupuncture treatments are diagnosed as having a cold constitution based on eastern medical diagnosis criteria. This “coldness” can lead to stagnation of qi and blood, which in turn, can lead to chronic painful conditions. The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and to warm the meridians, leading to the smoother flow of blood and qi.
A cold constitution is triggered or aggravated by over cooling of our body systems. Today, wide spread use of refrigerators and air conditioners in almost every office and household keep our bodies exposed to cold year-round. In addition, many people are regularly drinking a large amount of icy cold beverages, eating cold salads and their favorite ice cream. It should also be noted that many pharmaceutical drugs including common over the counter pain medications are known to decrease body temperature. Other common causes of cold constitution are large consumption of fruits and raw vegetables and ongoing mental/emotional stress.
What does Moxa treat?
Moxibustion therapy in conjunction with acupuncture can be very effective for many diseases and conditions including back pain, muscle stiffness, tendonitis and arthritis. Moxa is often used in gynecology; for example in painful periods, prolapsed organs, or in some cases of infertility. It is also used in digestive and/or skin disorders, various kinds of diseases due to weakness and pain, and others.
In cupping therapy, small glass jars are applied to the skin and muscles to stimulate the body’s blood and circulatory systems. It involves heating the air inside a glass cup, which removes some of the air from the cup. The cup is then quickly placed on the skin, and the resulting vacuum pulls the skin part way into the cup. This creates a mild, tolerable pulling action on the skin and muscles. Many people describe it as feeling like a massage.
What are the benefits of Cupping?
During cupping therapy, in particular when ‘moving cupping’ is used, blood and lymph circulatory systems are stimulated to work more efficiently.
- Effects on blood, skin, muscles, joints
- Effects on the lymph system
- Effects on the nervous system
What does cupping treat?
Musculo-skeletal complaints: sore, stiff muscles, including repair of ligament and tendon injuries and improving joint function
Cough/colds
Headaches
Fatigue
Insomnia
Some paralysis
What is Moxibustion?
Moxibustion is an external form of heat therapy, usually used in conjunction with acupuncture, and involves burning mugwort floss over an acu-point or affected area of the body. Mugwort is the common name for Artemisia Vulgaris, which is a plant whose leaves are first dried, then aged, and then used in many forms, including moxa cones or sticks. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate and strengthen the blood and the life energy, or qi, of the body. It is most often used in patients with ‘coldness’ or ‘stagnation’. Indirect moxa provides a soothing gentle heat without causing damage to the skin that helps many patients with chronic pain conditions, functional disorders, or a variety of stress related illnesses.
What is meant by ‘cold constitution’ and why is it prevalent in today’s society?
More so than in the past, many patients seeking acupuncture treatments are diagnosed as having a cold constitution based on eastern medical diagnosis criteria. This “coldness” can lead to stagnation of qi and blood, which in turn, can lead to chronic painful conditions. The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and to warm the meridians, leading to the smoother flow of blood and qi.
A cold constitution is triggered or aggravated by over cooling of our body systems. Today, wide spread use of refrigerators and air conditioners in almost every office and household keep our bodies exposed to cold year-round. In addition, many people are regularly drinking a large amount of icy cold beverages, eating cold salads and their favorite ice cream. It should also be noted that many pharmaceutical drugs including common over the counter pain medications are known to decrease body temperature. Other common causes of cold constitution are large consumption of fruits and raw vegetables and ongoing mental/emotional stress.
What does Moxa treat?
Moxibustion therapy in conjunction with acupuncture can be very effective for many diseases and conditions including back pain, muscle stiffness, tendonitis and arthritis. Moxa is often used in gynecology; for example in painful periods, prolapsed organs, or in some cases of infertility. It is also used in digestive and/or skin disorders, various kinds of diseases due to weakness and pain, and others.