Shortly after its arrival in the West, Acupuncture’s ability to successfully treat a number of disease processes and provide relief from pain lead to an emergence from its 5,000 year old roots to its current status as one of the most rapidly growing areas of contemporary healthcare. Results obtained by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research revealed that acupuncture effectively treated numerous conditions while being virtually free from harmful side effects.

During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Acupuncture was given to athletes and officials in the Olympic Village. With the remarkable results it provided, Acupuncture entered the World Athletic stage. Since then, its use by athletes demanding the edge that allows access to peak performance has increased exponentially across athletic endeavour throughout the world. Main areas in which Acupuncture has been demonstrated to be of significant benefit include pain management, accelerated tissue repair and injury rehabilitation, augmented immune function, deeper sleep, increased energy by promoting liver glycogen storage and reduced stress and anxiety, removing psychological obstacles to victory.

Using pain free, disposable needles, thinner than a hair, Acupuncture’s ability to facilitate natural performance enhancement, injury recovery and pain relief results from increased endorphin, prostaglandin and histamine production. Stimulation of acupoints expedites the healing process by reducing inflammation and improving systemic and targeted blood supply, allowing athletes to more rapidly overcome injuries and build muscle instead of taking drugs which mask injury, often worsening damage and creating chronic injury. Acupuncture in addition boosts immune function and circulation, supporting the body during training and enhancing performance during competition. In particular, the response has been overwhelmingly positive to acupuncture for tendon and ligament sprains. Using acupuncture during training and before performance to rapidly heal aches, pains, strains and sprains can make all the difference between winning and losing.