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I am a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and I sponsor Caroline in her MMA training schedule. In that, I provide acupuncture, herbal remedies and nutritional advice to Caroline. With Caroline’s permission, I am sharing her struggles with treating anemia and all that entails while she is in extreme training for her first professional fight. As many people know, anemia brings on fatigue, sleeplessness, dizziness as well as skin & hair issues. These are not ideal conditions while training hard and pushing your body to the limit. Below I give an overview of how acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and nutrition help to keep Caroline healthy while building endurance during this time of extreme training. Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Nutrition & Athletic Training Oriental Medicine as a whole has been used for
centuries in China to aid in the training of martial artists. It
takes a combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbs and nutrition to
maintain peak performance. This is especially important for the
serious or professional athletes in training. Oriental Medicine
helps an individual with their endurance, strength, recovery time
and injury treatment and prevention. First Oriental Medicine can address overall health and immunity which directly affects endurance and strength. In oriental medicine theory, the continued exhaustion of energy or qi will decrease overall health and immunity. This over time will affect the strength of muscles and most certainly the endurance needed during training and competition. This energy or qi deficiency will over time begin to cause what we call in oriental medicine a blood deficiency. This does not necessarily translate to the western medicine’s anemia although there is that risk. With qi and blood deficiency, not only your overall health declines, but you will begin to notice an overall decline in energy and endurance. This is visibly seen in women athletes that lose their menses during times of intense training. Know that the same internal situation begins to happen with men, although it isn’t visibly seen. In Oriental Medicine theory it is believed that excessive thinking or excessive exercise will lead to a blood deficiency. This inhibits the smooth flow of qi and blood as well as slows the blood from nourishing the body and the brain. It is important to remember that, in training and competition, the mental agility is a large factor in success. When engaging in sports that require extreme endurance, it is very important to have sufficient qi and blood as well as the circulation of both throughout the body. Without smooth flow of qi and blood, it becomes easier for injury such as strain or sprain to occur. If all areas of the body have sufficient energy and blood flow the tissues including muscles, tendons and ligaments are fed the needed nutrition and oxygen necessary to stay strong. Without this they are open to injury. When injury does occur and subsequent pain develops that is a sign of qi and blood stagnation. In a blow where a bruise is visible you can see the stagnation of qi and blood, however even without a bruise stagnation will be present at the site of impact. If the body is strong enough, it will eventually restore the flow of energy and the bruising and pain will subside. With the help of acupuncture and herbal medicine the flow of energy and blood is restored much quicker which results in a quicker return to training and competition without pain. At East West we also employ a “4 in 1” cold laser. This helps quicken the tissue recovery after stress or injury while decreasing pain. This laser combines red light, infrared light, super-pulsed technology and magnetic field therapy in one device.
Following is a specific breakdown of a typical treatment strategy
for treating athletes. Acupuncture We typically will use acupuncture at the site of pain or injury as well as at distal locations. For instance if an injury falls on a certain channel or meridian we would treat it locally and possibly at a distal location on the same channel or meridian to ensure the blood continues to flow smoothly throughout the body. Also, acupuncture has what are called command points and extra points. These can be specific to an area or structure. For example, a point called GB34 is a command point for joints. Even though it is located around the knee it is a very important point to use when treating joint issues whether they be fingers/toes or shoulder. We also use points LI4 and ST36 to encourage the smooth movement of qi and blood throughout the body which is important if you have an injury causing a local stagnation of blood. While you are being treated for training concerns, we will also do a constitutional assessment and treat those underlying weaknesses in your constitution to strengthen your body overall. One typical problem occurs when people train very hard, they become blood deficient (in oriental medicine theory) which can interfere with sleep and mental concentration, two things crucial for training and competition, not to mention decreased energy and endurance. We would use points that are specific to stimulating the increase in blood production. Cold Laser Therapy We employ a “4 in 1” cold laser. This laser combines red light, infrared light, super-pulsed technology and magnetic field therapy in one device. The laser penetrates the skin 4-5 inches to heal tissues without burning the skin. This super pulsed laser delivers a pulse at billionths of a second. Laser energy can strengthen damaged cells. Using photochemical processes, laser light inserts bio-photons into damaged cells. The cells begin to produce energy (ATP), which improves their function, assists their division, strengthens the body's immune system through increased lymphocyte activity, and causes the secretion of various hormones. The tissues are healed, and the pain disappears. If damaged cells have died, the bio-photons help the division of neighboring cells, generating new tissues, and thus bring about healing. Pain relief is also helped by way of the laser increasing endorphin release. Chinese Herbs, Western Herbs and Systemic Enzymes
Martial artists have utilized Chinese herbs both internally and topically for thousands of years. They use them topically to quickly heal wounds and injuries and stop bleeding as well as internally for injury and constitutional strength. Common topicals used throughout history include custom blended raw herbs that can be powdered and put in salves or are decocted and used as soaks. Jows are specifically for athletes. Many of these formulas are ancient Chinese secrets. With Jows, herbs are powdered and put in vodka or sake to age from months to years. Some Jows are formulated to be tonics for the bones as bones need to be strengthen to withstand repeated blows by another fighter. A common commercial preparation that is widely available and very effective for pain relief and tissue repair is Zheng Gu Shui. Internal herbal formulas utilize herbs to speed healing of tissues and relieve pain from the inside, or systemically, as well as herbs to balance the body, specific to each person’s presenting diagnosis. For example, if there is a presenting blood deficiency issue, a formula to build and tonify blood would be used in addition to the herbs used for healing injury. These can be taken in pill form or if the patient is so inclined a custom herbal powder can be made that includes all of the above in one mixture that would be measured out, combined with hot water and taken as a tea three times each day. It is dependent on the patient’s commitment and/or lifestyle if powders would be an option. Herbs are an essential part to the healing of tissues, maintaining energy levels, attaining good quality sleep and being sharp mentally. Those who commit to an herbal program will definitely have a leg up on the competition.
Dr. Shelly Masters, Director East West Acupuncture & Wellness Center 10943 Countryway Blvd., Tampa, FL 33626 813.749.7127 www.acupunctureinwestchase.com
Following are Dr. Masters credentials: *Doctor of Oriental Medicine, L.Ac. *Graduate of University of California, Irvine – BA Psychology *Graduate of Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin – MS Oriental Medicine (over 3,000 hour intensive program) * Nationally Certified by the National Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and holds Diplomate status in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology * Member of American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) * Member Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA) *CNC certification in Nutritional Counseling |
Herb
supplementation is essential to health maintenance under the stress
of training and competition. It is necessary in the prevention of
injury, the quick recovery from injury and to repair the wear and
tear the body goes through during times of intense physical
training.