Skiing, hiking, football, soccer, and more… they can bring so much joy to you or your child’s life. Until you get hurt.
Have you or your child ever gotten a sports injury that just wouldn’t heal? Have you gone to a medical doctor and been told to let it rest and give it time, but didn’t see the results you wanted?
Getting an injury like this can be scary, especially if your child is suffering. It’s normal to question the first opinion you’ve been given and look for other solutions that might speed up your recovery.
Many people feel stumped at this point because they don’t know what their options are. Here is our advice on how to handle a complicated sports injury.
Does the injury require surgery?
This is probably the first hurdle you will have to jump- is the injury severe enough that surgery alone will allow it to heal? You will need an X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI to determine whether surgery is the best option.
After surgery, it will still take your body time to heal. The tear or break that couldn’t recover on its own should be repaired, but it doesn’t mean you’re ready to jump back into normal life.
How can you speed up surgery recovery?
You’ll probably be in a lot of pain from the swelling and inflammation associated with surgery… but how can you feel better faster?
Acupuncture is a technique that helps your body heal better on its own. Think about the way a small cut heals- you keep it clean, you leave it alone, and eventually your body will close it on its own.
The same thing happens when you get surgery, just on a much bigger scale. Because there are so many systems involved with surgery, it takes much longer for the body to heal on its own.
There is so much stress involved with surgery that the energy your body uses to heal can become blocked- the worse the blockage is the longer it will take for you to heal. Acupuncture helps remove the blockages so your energy can regain its strength and promote healing.
What if you don’t need surgery?
Most of the time your body won’t need surgery to heal, it just needs time and an environment that promotes healing.
This is great news! You may be frustrated that you weren’t presented with a more straightforward solution than bed rest, but this will be much easier for you to recover from.
You can still speed up the recovery process with acupuncture. The energy blockage will likely (but not always) be less severe than if you underwent surgery but will still need to be removed to encourage effective healing.
Imagine if you could reduce swelling and inflammation with a painless, relaxing treatment that helps your body do exactly what it’s supposed to. You can even boost your results with herbs and cupping, there are so many options that can get you back on track.
How does acupuncture promote healing?
Most people don’t understand how acupuncture helps you heal. Sure, it reduces inflammation and swelling… but how?
Your body uses multiple processes that help healing including blood flow, chemical release, and nervous system interactions. If one or more of these processes isn’t working right, it can interfere with your recovery.
Acupuncture targets your energy meridians that allow these processes to start, work smoothly, and stop. When an acupuncturist identifies and targets a pathway that needs some help, it will aid the healing process.
For example, acupuncture stimulates chemical releases that are crucial for healing. Cortisol, for example, reduces swelling and inflammation- acupuncture can help your body produce enough cortisol to manage the pain.
Acupuncture can also activate neurotransmitters in your nervous system that influence the inflammatory process, allowing your body to recover properly.
What should you do next?
Whether you recently became injured or are struggling with the lingering effects of a past injury, acupuncture can help your body recover. Schedule with Good Needles to see what we can do to help you speed up your recovery process.
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