Playing too hard?

With summer here, at least according to the calendar, most everyone will find their way outside to get involved in the activities we all love; golf, tennis, kayaking, etc… Inevitably some of us will over do it, while of course not intentionally, we will play a little longer or a little bit harder than we are prepared for. This will leave us injured, throwing out all to familiar terms such as tennis elbow, golfers elbow, tendonitis, rotator cuff damage, and bursitis. Of course we will want to get back into the game right away, some of us will even go on without taking any course to healing the injury and just cause further damage. What are some of the options available to promote the quickest and most complete healing?

The first option, which may be all that is needed and the one we dislike most is just plain old rest. There really is no getting around the fact that our bodies need time to heal, and the more we abuse an injured area, the longer the time it will take to heal. In terms of Chinese medicine when we injure an area, either from overuse or trauma there is stagnation of qi and blood. Obviously, if injury is due to trauma it is best looked at initially by a western doctor and if structural damage is evident then it needs to be addressed first. To speed up the healing process we then need to remove the stagnation of qi and blood. This is accomplished a number of ways. The simplest approach is massage and physical therapy. When the injury is more severe, acupuncture can be of great help in moving this stagnation. When the acupuncture needle is inserted there is a local immune response, an increase in white blood cell count, release of endorphins and an increase in local circulation. All this adds up to a decrease in pain and a shortened time to recovery. Injuries to the shoulders, knees, and low back are commonly treated with acupuncture with good results. Prior western diagnosis can be helpful in prognosis; again the extent of structural damage gives insight to the extent of how we will heal.

So let's all get outside play well, get adequate rest, and see your massage therapist on a regular basis. And if you are so inclined feel free to play a little bit harder, I can always use some new business.