Sports injuries
Sports are healthy, but sometimes a muscle, tendon, band, joint or other tissue becomes overloaded or damaged. An injury can occur suddenly due to wrong movement, fall or collision, but also gradually through repeated stress. Pain, stiffness or restriction of movement may then not only complicate exercise, but also daily activities.
Many sports injuries recover well with sufficient recovery and gradual build-up of the load. However, sometimes complaints remain present longer or return as soon as you start exercising more intensively.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used to reduce pain and support recovery. It looks at the type of injury, the stage of recovery and factors that may sustain the symptoms.
Do you especially have pain in a specific body area? Read the page about for example knee pain, heel pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain, neck pain or low back pain.
Acute injuries and overload injuries
Sports injuries can arise roughly in two ways.
Acute injuries occur suddenly, for example due to a fall, collision, twisting or explosive movement. This may include sprain, bruising, muscle tension or other injury to muscles, tendons, ties or joints.
Overload injuries usually develop gradually. The load is then greater for a long time than what the body can sufficiently repair. Examples are a tennis elbow, Achilles tendon symptoms, fasciitis plantary, runners knee and shin splints.
In both cases it is important to look not only at the pain, but also at the cause of the injury and the factors that affect the recovery.
Possible causes
Sports injuries are often caused by a combination of load and capacity for activity. A training incentive that does not normally give rise to problems can, for example, cause complaints when the load is quickly increased or when there is insufficient time for recovery.
Factors that may contribute include:
- sudden wrong movement, fall or collision;
- a rapid increase in training duration, intensity or frequency;
- Long-term, repeated or unilateral loads;
- insufficient recovery between trainings;
- reduced strength, mobility or capacity for activity;
- an earlier injury;
- tiredness, stress, illness or inadequate sleep.
In case of persistent or recurrent symptoms, it may therefore be useful to look at training structure, technique, strength, mobility and recovery in addition to the site of pain.
How can acupuncture help with sports injuries?
Acupuncture can be used for both acute sports injuries and long-term overload complaints. What treatment is appropriate depends, among other things, on the type of injury, how long the complaints exist and at what stage of recovery you are in.
Acupuncture may include:
- reduce pain and tenderness in the affected area;
- reduce excessive muscle tension around the injured area;
- reduce stiffness and support mobility;
- support the recovery after overload or injury;
- gradually improve capacity for activity during recovery;
- support long-term or recurring complaints.
Acupuncture does not replace the build-up of strength and strength required in many sports injuries. It is precisely for this reason that treatment can be combined with physiotherapy, exercise therapy, strength training or another rehabilitation program.
How can Chinese herbal medicine help with sports injuries?
Chinese herbs can be used in addition to acupuncture, especially if an injury persists longer, regularly returns or recovery is difficult. As herbs are taken daily, they can also provide support between acupuncture treatments.
Depending on the underlying pattern, Chinese herbal medicine may focus on:
- support local flow in case of pain, stiffness or swelling after injury;
- treat persistent pain when complaints persist after an earlier injury;
- treat pain and stiffness when cold or humid weather clearly affects the symptoms;
- support the recovery of muscles, tendons and other tissues;
- support overall capacity for activity and recovery when injuries are easily returned or recovery is slow.
The composition is tailored to the injury, the stage of recovery and your general health and can be adjusted during the treatment process. Herbs are not needed in every sports injury; for a mainly local complaint, the emphasis may be on acupuncture and appropriate rehabilitation.
How does Chinese medicine view sports injuries?
Within Western medicine, a sports injury looks at what tissue has been done and what the severity of the injury is. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) also looks at the location and character of the complaints and the conditions under which the injury occurred.
In sports injuries, the meridians and the flow of Qi and Blood are particularly central. Meridians within TCM are seen as connections through the body where Qi and Blood circulate. Which meridians are involved depends, among other things, on the location of the injury.
An important starting point within TCM is that pain occurs when the free flow is obstructed in an area. After an acute injury, this disturbance can be obvious. For example, a fall, collision or twist can be associated with pain, swelling, blue discoloration and movement restriction. Within TCM this is described as stagnation of Qi and Blood and, when stagnation is stronger, as Blood stasis.
In case of prolonged injuries, it is also considered why a complaint persists or keeps coming back. Does the pain react strongly to cold? Does a specific area remain sensitive after an old injury? Or does someone recover remarkably slowly after exertion? The answer to such questions helps determine which treatment is appropriate.
A recognizable combination of these characteristics is called a TCM pattern. Two athletes with the same Achillespeak can therefore have different patterns and be treated differently.
Only some general patterns are discussed below. On the specific complaint pages, more details are given on the patterns that may occur in case of pain in a particular body area.
What's a meridian?
Common TCM patterns in sports injuries
Qi- and Blood stagnation
At Qi- and Blood stagnation, the local flow in the affected area has been hampered. This can be caused by repeated overloads, but also directly after an injury.
Common symptoms: local pain and tenderness, tension or stiffness and symptoms that increase when moving or straining. In case of acute injury, swelling and movement restriction may also be present.
Examples of Western disorders: muscle and tendon overload, tennis elbow, Achilles tendon symptoms, plantar fasciitis and other overload injuries.
Blood stasis
In Blood stasis, local stagnation is stronger. This pattern is mainly seen after a clear trauma or injuries where pain remains in the same place for a long time.
Common symptoms: sharp or stabbing pain, clearly defined pain spot, strong tenderness at pressure and sometimes swelling or blue discoloration. In older injuries, the pain may remain persistently present in the same place.
Examples of Western disorders: bruising, sprains, muscle or band injury and prolonged pain after a previous sports injury.
Cold and Dampness
According to TCM, cold and moisture can interfere with free movement in muscles, tendons and joints. This pattern is especially relevant in long-term injuries where weather conditions clearly influence.
Common symptoms: pain and stiffness, a heavy feeling in the affected area, worsening in cold or humid weather and improvement by heat and quiet movement.
Examples of Western disorders: prolonged muscle, tendon and joint complaints in which cold and stiffness play a clear role.
Reduced load capacity and recovery
When injuries return easily or recovery is remarkably slow, TCM also looks at the general condition of the body. Different deficiency patterns may be behind this, depending on the type of injury and what other complaints are present.
Common symptoms: slow recovery after exercise, tiredness, muscle weakness, rapidly re-exercising or feeling that the affected area does not recover sufficiently between workouts.
This is not a specific TCM pattern. Depending on the overall picture, for example, a shortage of Qi or Blood may play a role, while long-term complaints of tendons, bones or joints may also affect other patterns.
On the specific complaint pages, such as knee pain, heel pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain or low back pain, it is discussed in more detail which TCM-patterns can prevent these complaints.
Outlook
Restoring a sports injury depends heavily on the type of injury, severity and duration of complaints, training load and overall capacity for activity. A slight acute injury has a different recovery from a tendon complaint that has been present for months.
In the initial phase, it is often treated about once a week. In case of acute or severe injury, treatment can be temporarily appropriate two to three times a week. In case of prolonged overload symptoms, more time is usually needed and gradual build-up of the load plays an important role. When pain decreases and strength improves, the frequency of treatment can usually be reduced. These are guidelines; the course of treatment is tailored to the injury and your situation.
An important goal is not only to reduce pain, but also to make the affected area sufficiently taxable for sport. Therefore, a gradual return to training, possibly with targeted strength and mobility exercises, remains important.
When is medical research important?
In the event of suspected severe injury, it is important to first assess what has been damaged. This applies for example in case of a visible stand defect, severe or rapidly increasing swelling, clear instability, loss of feeling or strength or if you cannot use or load the affected body part normally after an injury.
Even in the event of a sudden sensation of beauty or rupture followed by apparent loss of function, or if complaints continue to worsen despite adequate recovery, further research may be necessary.
Contact
Do you suffer from a sports injury and want to know if acupuncture can mean anything to you?
During a first consultation, we will discuss your complaints, medical history, sports tax and any factors that affect the recovery. On this basis, a treatment plan will be drawn up to match your situation.
You can make an appointment directly online or contact us for more information.