Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is one of the oldest forms of medicine on the planet dating back to 200 BCE. Chinese Warriors are thought to be one of the first practitioners of acupuncture. They used acupuncture to stay strong, balanced and to help heal their wounds from battle. For years in the United States acupuncture has been viewed as an alternative treatment for pain. November 1997 the National Institute for Health (NIH) recognized acupuncture as a viable therapy for some pain disorders such as: pain from surgery, nausea from pregnancy or chemotherapy, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel. In the area of sports performance the use of acupuncture for the prevention and care of athletic injuries, has been slow to be recognized as a viable and effective branch of sports medicine. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is one of the main regulating bodies for athletic trainers and sports performance in the United States. In their material and text books I have not yet come across the acknowledgment, recommendation or the reference of the effectiveness of acupuncture in sports. It is time that that changes and for acupuncture to take its place among the other sports medicine modalities.
In other countries Acupuncture has been accepted as an effective form of treatment for athletes. In the winter Olympics of 1998, the Austria downhill skier Hermann Maier was treated with acupuncture after a devastating fall only to come back and win two gold metals. In China at the summer Olympics of 2008 acupuncture was available and used by the athletes. I have been practicing acupuncture for over 25 years and have had the opportunity to treat all kinds of athletes. I have treated recreational, competitive and elite athletes. I have had the privilege to treat successfully a three time Olympic Biathlon Skier, a National College Rodeo finalist bronco rider, College NCAA Division 1 woman’s basketball player, world-class swimmers, skiers, runners, bicyclists and tennis players. Some of the injuries I see include trauma, and overuse, such as sprains, strains, tendonitis, bursitis, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel. Acupuncture is not only effective for pain it also helps with insomnia, anxiety, and digestive problems, which can sometimes affect an athlete’s performance ability. Athletes have told me that they feel an increased clarity, an inner calmness and more centered after an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is a drugless form of medicine and with elite athletes having to be drug tested for their sport; acupuncture can be an optimum treatment for them.