Former Olympic Team Physician Treating
Common Sports Injuries with Medical Acupuncture
Warm weather means beach volleyball,
company softball season, and summer 5K races. But
keep in mind that summertime athletes are prone to
unwanted aches and pains if they do not exercise regularly
and forgo a proper warm-up and stretching routine.
If you face aching joints, pulled
muscles or a sore neck or back, the American Academy
of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) recommends medical acupuncture
treatment, a unique combination of Eastern philosophies
and traditional Western medicine techniques, as a
treatment option for weekend warriors and sports enthusiasts
alike. Physicians are successfully treating conditions
such as:
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Tennis Elbow
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Achilles Tendonitis
€
Pulled Hamstrings
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Lower Back and Neck Pain
€
Knee pain
Michael W. Coomes, M.D., an AAMA
physician with an integrative musculoskeletal medicine
practice in Minneapolis, says medical acupuncture
can help relieve these conditions quickly because
it relaxes muscles and stimulates internal cortisone
and endorphin levels in the body.
"Medical acupuncture treatments alleviate
acute pain, but it's also important to teach patients
how to read their bodies' own stress signals and help
them set up a healthier training program in the future,"
said Dr. Coomes. "Depending on the injury, four to
10 acupuncture sessions allow the athlete to begin
a rehabilitation program and avoid repeated injuries."
