Cupping for Athletes

Cupping is a hot topic among athletes these days, spurred on by the purple spots on competitors like Michael Phelps and Wang Qun at the Olympics and more and more celebrities and professional athletes across numerous sports. The Chinese (as well as Europeans) have been using cupping for thousands of years, for all sorts of muscle and joint pain, as well as for respiratory infections and digestive issues.

You can read about the basics of cupping in my previous post, "Cupping and Gua Sha: What are they and what are their benefits?" by clicking here. This post will focus on how cupping works to benefit athletic performance and recovery, as well as treating sports injuries.

Any athlete, whether a professional, an amateur or a weekend warrior, knows that soreness and injury is par for the course. Soreness is the build up of lactic acid and micro-tearing of tissue that when healed, creates a stronger muscle. With intense use, muscles can get tight or inflamed, and many people use ice to battle that inflammation. Unfortunately this practice is outdated and is actually interfering with the healing process. You can read more about that here. By restricting blood flow, you are actually impairing the body's ability to heal itself. It's like a fever: when you have a fever, the body has raised its temperature to kill off the virus or bacteria that is making you sick. When you reduce a fever, the body can't do its job as well (I am referring to fevers under 102.5 degrees; anything above is more serious and may require other interventions). Icing an acute injury delays the healing process by interrupting blood flow to the area. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) you are infusing cold into the area which leads to a stagnation of energy, or Qi (pronounced Chee) and causes pain. Many times ice will numb the area, but won't actually get rid of the pain, since once the numbness wears off, the pain returns.

Practices like acupuncture and cupping are very helpful for recovery as they move the lactic acid out of the muscles, encouraging Qi and blood flow, helping the body recover. Cupping is great for muscle tightness, acting like a deep massage, to help release what is stuck and return the muscle to better functioning. Acupuncture encourages blood flow to the area so that the body can more efficiently heal the micro-tears and return the muscles to strength and stability. These two practices complement each other, but each can also stand alone when it comes to recovery.

In terms of healing injury, depending on the injury, acupuncture is my first go to, as it encourages blood flow to encourage healing. Moxa is another great modality for treating injury for the same reason. Our blood contains the nutrients that help us heal; encouraging blood flow encourages healing. Moving Qi and Blood can also reduce pain and swelling, often immediately after treatment.  Cupping can be helpful as long as there is no muscle tearing as part of the injury. It is great for muscle spasms or tightness, and can be helpful with scar healing, once the scar is stable and closed. Cupping (or Gua Sha, see the above link to the article "Cupping and Gua Sha: What are they and What are their Benefits"), can help the scar become more supple, prevent adhesions and help the body return to proper function.

Scars can be very problematic, post-surgery or otherwise, if they don't heal well. Puckered or tight scars can impair function not only of the affected area, but can also cause problems in other related areas, like nearby joints. I had a patient who had a lumpectomy and the scar was very deep and tight. She came to me because of a shoulder injury on that same side. Once I released the tension in the scar, her shoulder felt much better. Cupping, Gua Sha and acupuncture are all great ways to treat scars and encourage them to complete the healing process so you can return to the activities that you love.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/08/how-cupping-works-and-why-olympic-athletes-use/88410804/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rio-2016-cupping-what-is-it-olympics-athletes-suction-cups-skin-marks-a7178731.html

For more information about who I am and what I do, go to www.integrativetherapeutics.com.
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Musings of an Acupuncturist Treating Veterans

Musings of an acupuncturist treating veterans:

I love the vision of people, mostly men but some women, coming into the Veterans Acupuncture Care clinic,
a little nervous, a little unsure. Before they’ve been treated they don’t know what’s going to happen. Does it hurt?
How will I feel after? Does it hurt? What should I expect? Does it hurt?
They walk in, sign in and take a seat in one of of almost a dozen wing chair and couch seats. They sit down,
swab their ears with alcohol and await the needles. Within 5 minutes or so of receiving the needles, I see the peace
and calm wash over their faces. Soon the subtle sounds of gentle snoring mix with the flute music playing in the
background. They sit until they feel complete, for some it is 30 minutes, for some 90 minutes, for many it is
something in between. I take my cues from them. After the treatment, they arise, refreshed and ready to take on
whatever their life may bring. Initially the contentment may last only a few hours or a few days, but over time the
effects last longer and longer. The treatments build up in the system helping them hold on the more good feelings
than bad. Bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves; I only facilitate that action. That’s why I do what I do.
I am an acupuncturist.

* * * * *

Everyone experiences stress in their lives, but after experiencing war and combat, the stress is a little different.
At first it may be subtle, like feeling irritable and isolated, or yelling at your spouse and children. Then it might be
more invasive, interrupting your sleep, causing nightmares and flashbacks, driving your desire to drink or behave
recklessly. PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not always immediately apparent to the person experiencing it.
If you or someone your love has been affected by a traumatic event in war or combat, know that help is available.
Veterans Acupuncture Care (VAC) Metrowest offers free acupuncture treatments specifically geared toward easing
your experience of your trauma and giving you a deep sense of peace and well-being.
For more information, please visit www.vacmetrowest.com.