Acupuncture is an invaluable resource for increasing an athlete’s optimum performance during training and competition. Many top athletes use acupuncture to prevent injuries, as well as to speed recovery from existing injuries.
At some point
in your athletic training, you will most likely develop “trigger
points” in your muscles from overuse and repetitive motions.
Trigger points, (also known as “ah shir”, or painful
points in Chinese medicine) are small tender areas that develop
in connective tissue, especially muscle. Inactive trigger
points can cause stiffness and decreased range of motion. Active
trigger points cause pain either at the site of the trigger point
or referred pain that radiates out from the tender point. Active
trigger points in one muscle group may cause pain that forces
you to compensate and overload another muscle group, resulting
in a frustrating downward spiral of pain, dysfunction and inability
to enjoy your sports activities.
Doctors who practice trigger point work, usually osteopaths or physical medicine specialists, typically treat by inserting a hypodermic needle into the trigger point and injecting it with a lidocaine solution. The disadvantage to this method is that it uses painfully thick hollow hypodermic needles and few areas can be treated in one session at a relatively high cost. Body workers trained in trigger point work locate them and apply pressure with their fingers or a massage tool. The disadvantage of this method is that it takes a long time to do what an acupuncture needle can do in just seconds.
Diana earned
her Master’s degree at Tri-State College of Acupuncture
in New York City. This
is the only school in the United States that teaches an adaptation
of trigger point therapy called Acupuncture Physical Medicine
[APM]©. There are very few acupuncturists in Denver who are
trained to perform this unique, effective method of treatment.
APM is a comprehensive system combining classical meridian acupuncture
with the treatment of trigger points using acupuncture needles
to release tight bands of muscle.
As a yoga teacher for over a decade, Diana understands how keeping the body / mind connection strong will enhance your athletic performance. In her acupuncture practice, she uses visualization and breathing techniques to help you to relax your body while increasing concentration and focus. These tools are yours to take home and use in your active daily life. Diana may also recommend self-help through specific yoga poses or acupressure points to help you to relieve pain, build strength and increase flexibility.
Below are a few issues that
are treated with acupuncture:
• Ankle pain/strain
• Back pain
• Calf pain/cramps
• Elbow pain / “tennis elbow”
• Foot pain and Plantar Fascitis
• Hamstring strain
• Hip pain
• Hip Flexor strain
• IT band pain
• Runner’s knee
• Neck pain
• Psoas strain
• Piriformis pain / sciatica
• Shoulder pain /Rotator cuff injury
• Wrist strain
• Race anxiety
• Performance enhancement
• Preventive maintenance
“Throughout my life, as an active high
school and college athlete, I’ve had lower back trouble.
I used to go to the chiropractor back in high school, and he
told me that one of my hip joints was loose and the pain was
caused from my leg slipping too far up into the joint. He said
my right leg was, in turn, a half inch shorter than my left.
After visiting him several times over a month, I realized his
adjustments were making the problem worse and I quit going to
him.
Over the next 10 years, I learned to deal with the pain, until
I met Diana in 2003. I explained my situation to her at my first
consultation (it was also my first acupuncture treatment). She
explained to me how acupuncture works, where I’d need
to come in four times or so over the first month, then on a
case-by-case basis whenever something wasn’t right with
my body.
After the first session, I immediately felt a difference. The
second session felt a little better, then during the third session,
my back muscles twitched and my entire back readjusted itself.
Even with my active lifestyle of lifting weights, snowboarding
and playing tennis, I haven’t had any serious back pain
since, and I tell everyone I know that has any physical issues
to visit Diana. To this day, I visit Diana anytime that something
isn’t right with my system. For the past four years, I've
seen her about three times a year . I couldn’t recommend
Diana's services highly enough. She’s a great acupuncturist,
and she cares.” - J.S., Candle Artesian
