on pins and needles: the road to recovery begins with acupunctureby Matthew J. Nelson Twenty-four miles into my last marathon I heard the unmistakable call of Nature. After quaffing an untold number of cups of water, it was time to go. I darted off the racecourse. That's when disaster struck. No, it wasn't a rattlesnake, just my own exercise-induced ineptitude. A careless footfall in a loose section of rocks rolled my ankle, sending my body crashing to the ground with an ungraceful thud. Terra firma never felt so firma. I sat there in the dirt for a minute, watching my ankle swell and stiffen into a mass of damaged tissue and torn ligaments. I glanced at my chronometer and watched precious seconds tick away. The sound of running shoes smacking the pavement reminded me that I had somewhere to be. So I pulled myself together, picked a few cactus spines out of my hands, and continued running. Thirty minutes later I hobbled awkwardly toward the finish line. Luckily, the blaring music and cheering spectators drowned out my grunts and whimpers. I enjoyed the thrill of finishing, then began to wonder just how much damage I'd inflicted upon myself during those long last two miles. Walking normally seemed like a distant dream, never mind completing a marathon again-although the thought of entering the wheelchair category did cross my mind. After many years of running without incident, I had just entered the ranks of the injured, the benched, the soon-to-be depressed runners starved of their essential daily dose of endorphins. Whether leaping off a curb on their morning run or pushing the envelope in the last few miles of a marathon, runners often find themselves facing injury. While pain relief can be found through ibuprofen, ice, or a good massage, giving yourself a chance to heal is a important requirement if you don't want a little problem to lead to something more serious. Often, a minor sprain, pull, or tear can lead to other injuries and long-term discomfort that is anything but encouraging. More and more runners are discovering a remedy that has been around for thousands of years: acupuncture. This ancient Chinese healing practice involves inserting tiny needles into various points on the body, sometimes concentrated near the injured area, to promote the flow of chi (the bioenergy or electricity of the body). Chi (chee) can be described as the primary flow of energy throughout our bodies, which are a complex network of electrical and chemical systems. Chi is intertwined with the body's blood, lymph and nerve flows, all of which are essential in the healing process. Think of it as a river of energy flowing through your entire body. When injury dams up the flow, energy shortages occur downstream, and upstream there is a buildup of energy. Both imbalances can cause symptoms. The needle that goes into an acupuncture point in effect pierces a hole in the dam. The flow of that little stream of built-up energy slowly starts to enlarge. In a few hours the dam begins to crumble. In a few days, the whole dam is torn down and the river is running smoothly again; chi flows uninhibited. One injury, however minor, can block the natural flow of your body's internal means of healing. Bob Stagnitto, an acupuncturist practicing in Tucson, Arizona said, "The good thing about acupuncture is that because it's working with the primary energy flow, it affects every organ, every symptom, directly or indirectly. The great benefit is that when we work with any particular problem, we're working on the overall body, the overall system." Long ago, Chinese doctors discovered that insertion of needles helped change the ionic flow of electrons and ions within the body. The ionic nature of a given area can actually be altered by inserting needles in certain places along channels (meridians), helping to move energy along. And if you think acupuncture is an "alternative" medicine devoid of Western scientific scrutiny, think again. The National Institutes of Health have endorsed acupuncture for pain control, and its credibility for the treatment of sports injuries surpasses many other practices of healing. "We have had some excellent success with acupuncture in treating sprains and strains and other sports-related injuries," said Dr. John Cianca, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. "Within a treatment or two, many patients have noticed a 50-75% reduction in pain and swelling. Acupuncture can also be helpful for athletes like runners, who experience overuse injuries," said Cianca. Personally, I found very positive results using acupuncture to treat my ankle. Five days after the accident I went in for an acupuncture session, hoping to reduce the pain and swelling just enough to allow me to fit into a regular pair of shoes. Two days after the session I was walking without pain. Two weeks later I was running again, much to the shock of other runners who said it would be a good month before I could run on a rolled ankle. "I can't think of any pain that isn't treatable through acupuncture," said Dr. Douglas Schwartz, an acupuncture specialist and runner from New York. "It's terrific for chronic pain. I've found acupuncture to be the most effective over conventional physical therapy and massage, and even osteopathic manipulation. Acupuncture addresses the chronic nature of musculoskeletal pain very nicely." Schwartz is a veteran marathoner and works with runners on a regular basis to overcome pains associated with pounding the pavement. Some of the more common running-related injuries include lateral ankle sprains, shin splints, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, back injuries, calf strains, muscle spasms and tight muscles that don't release with stretching alone. "I see mainly hip, knee and ankle pain, as well as the muscles in between all of those joints, and lower back. The biggest complaints are shin splints and inversion ankle sprains, and muscle aches and pains with spasms. All of these injuries respond very well to acupuncture." Acupuncture is so successful in eliminating pain because it helps release opioids (opium-based chemicals such as endorphins), creating a euphoria very similar to a "runner's high." Even if you aren't suffering from injury, acupuncture can be incredibly beneficial for recovering from a marathon or other endurance running event. Microtears, overused muscles, and even internal organ imbalances can all be restored to normal through the help of a few properly placed needles. "Acupuncture has a profound affect on the endocrine system," said Dr. Michael Stone, an acupuncturist and chiropractic internist from Tucson, AZ. "The endocrine system governs water exchange in cells, water retention, and secretion of enzymes within the kidneys. If you've lost a lot of fluids from your effort, acupuncture can help tremendously when trying to recover from a marathon." Acupuncturists have been practicing in the East for centuries, but it wasn't until the 1970s that the ancient method of healing found its way to the West. American doctors visiting China were amazed at the successful use of acupuncture as anesthesia during surgery. In the mid-1970s guidelines for acupuncture use were established and implemented in the United States, and the enthusiasm for this healing art quickly grew. If the thought of being a human pincushion has you cringing, you'll be happy to know that acupuncture is virtually painless. The stainless steel needles are inserted with delicate care, and patients are oblivious to the tiny rods (.22 mm) that sit just below the surface of the skin. And for safety's sake, all needles are sterile and disposable. So the next time you cross the finish line and are looking for the shortest road to recovery, consider looking to a method of healing that's helped individuals for 3,000 years-acupuncture. _______________
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