The Benefits of getting Acupuncture in Del Mar, CA

This article seeks to share some positive lifestyle improvements that come along with acupuncture. 

Acupuncture is typically regarded throughout the West as being an effective treatment for pain, but few people are aware of the powerful benefits of acupuncture for acute injuries such as bruises, burns, sprains and strains, and even bone breaks. Not only does acupuncture help ease the pain of an injury, but it can actually help injuries to heal at a faster rate. Of course, if you have a serious injury requiring emergency medical attention, please don’t call your acupuncturist! In Del Mar, CA, there are plenty of medical personnel available to treat emergencies and serious, time critical conditions. However, after you tend to the immediate emergency, an acupuncturist can certainly help you recover.

Martial artists have known for centuries that acupuncture and herbal medicine assists in speeding recovery from traumatic injuries. In fact, martial arts helped form the basis for a variety of acupuncture techniques and herbal remedies. There are herbal formulations to be taken internally to help strengthen bones and tissues, and there are herbs that are used as poultices and compresses to ease pain and swelling. Western elite athletes and Olympians have caught on to the benefits of Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help them perform better and recover from injuries faster. Many top-performing sports teams regard acupuncture as their closely held secret for consistent wins.

Children can also benefit greatly from seeking acupuncture and herbal medicine during post-acute recovery from sports injuries and accidents. Since children are still growing, a slow recovery time from something such as a bone break can hinder growth, impair development, and lead to chronic pain and repeated injuries. A knee injury in a high school basketball player can lead to chronic knee pain as an adult if post-acute recovery care is not sought out in time.

There are several different modalities an acupuncturist may utilize in the treatment of injuries during the post-acute stage. These include: acupuncture, cupping, guasha, herbs applied to the affected area, herbs taken internally, nutritional recommendations and supplementation, and moxabustion. The precise type of therapy used will depend upon the stage of the injury.

For instance, it is generally recognized that there are three stages of injury. The first stage, typically lasting 48 hours - 1 week, involves a lot of pain and swelling. This stage requires cooling the injury to reduce inflammation. The second stage lasts 2 - 3 weeks, and there is still usually some swelling and pain. Treatment involves pain relief, nutrition, and herbal therapy. The final stage involves stiffness and achiness which can become chronic if the sufferer does not seek treatment. If acupuncture is used throughout each stage of injury, a complete recovery is most likely, and the third stage of injury will be short greatly reduced.

Foods and culinary herbs for decreasing inflammation include: ginger, turmeric, garlic, pineapple, tart cherry, organic berries, and green leafy vegetables. Used in combination with Chinese heat-clearing herbs, they can assist in healing during the inflammatory stage

of an injury. During the second and third stages of an injury, it will be important to include protein-rich foods such as pasture-raised meats and eggs into your diet. Your acupuncturist may recommend making homemade bone broths, as well as taking customized formulations of Chinese tonic herbs, to assist in the healing process during these latter stages.