New Hope for Knee Injuries

March 31st, 2008 at 11:15am Aspen Life 373

Although we are all destined to age and injuries are commonplace in our society (especially in a ski town such as Aspen), it does NOT necessarily mean that we are taking “painful steps into an age-old reality of decrepitude” as the article states.   As I listened to the writer describe a tumultuous journey of immobility, painful physical therapy, emotional agony, daily stress and a very long recovery period following an ACL injury, I realized that this society is missing a HUGE piece of information.  There is a 5000 year old medicine called Acupuncture and Chinese medicine which has been scientifically proven to speed up the process of healing, increase circulation, help tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation, reduce pain and balance the emotions. This huge piece of information is crucial for anyone to know about who has undergone any sort of trauma, injury, imbalance or bodily disharmony of any kind.  I am an Acupuncturist in the valley, owner of Window To The Sky Acupuncture and also practicing out of the Aspen Club and Spa.  Being a former ski racer and now avid snowboarder, I have been in the circuit for years and have treated these common injuries with great success.  I have seen individuals who were on crutches one day and back on the slopes the next.  I have treated those who lost strength following surgeries only to gain it back and become even stronger afterward. I have used acupressure on simple points for sprained ankles and watched individuals hike 5 miles out of the woods.  Acupuncture is a highly intelligent medical system which has been used in the Eastern world for many years and has only started to gain recognition in the states in the past 30 years.  However, the World Health Organization and National Institute for Health have now recognized Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for its amazing success rates for the treatment of not only physical ailments, but emotional and psychological as well.

Acupuncture works by inserting very thin, sterile, disposable needles into specific points on the body where long ago, the Chinese discovered small vortexes of energy.  A series of points are chosen based on one’s specific condition, and using the body’s own innate intelligence and healing ability, the acupuncture helps to guide the body back to a state of balance.  Studies have proven that not only does acupuncture work to block the pain receptors in the thalamus, the area of the brain which interprets the pain signal but it also sends a signal to the hypothalamus to release endorphins (happy neurotransmitters).  This provides a feeling of euphoria and relief.  This is a miraculous therapy for those who have undergone a sports injury because in one session the individual should feel pain reduction, mood elevation, increased mobility and following the treatment there should be a decrease in inflammation, an increase in blood flow, accelerated healing, and tissue regeneration.  This means that the individual is back up, in motion and enjoying sports and daily activities at a much faster rate than could occur with just physical therapy alone.  Physical therapy is absolutely crucial following surgery to get the injured area mobile again, however with the adjunct of Acupuncture and Chinese herbs there is no goal that is “cruelly unachievable”, as the article states.  The article speaks about a physical therapy regimen which is “one of the most accelerated in the nation” yet the writer talks about the amount of pain that accompanies the act of bending the knee.  What if physical therapy did not have to be that painful?  What if recovery were faster than it has ever been?  What if you were going bigger, better, faster, and were stronger than you have ever been?   With a 5000 year history, many are realizing that there is much truth to this medicine!  Members of the Aspen Club and Spa have said that they have never felt stronger before in their lives and it is definitely due to ongoing acupuncture treatments.

Medical Doctors are now realizing the effectiveness of these Eastern treatments and are hiring Acupuncturists to work alongside them, to adjunct their practices.  This is a complementary balance of Eastern and Western medicine, providing the ability to go above and beyond the normal protocol of what has been achieved thus far in medicine.  True Acupuncturists are trained with 4 years of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, totaling around 3000 hours.  It is very important to choose a practitioner with this type of training vs. a chiropractor with a minimum of 200 hours.  Therefore, you are getting a specialist who has been trained with this ancient wisdom, a diagnostic system that is unsurpassed, and quick results are much more attainable.  Recovery from an injury does not have to be as painful as stated in the article, there IS another way.  Once introduced to this amazing medicine, you may soon realize what you have been missing.  This amazing therapy can bring performance to a whole new level!

Amy L. Suplee, L.Ac, MTCM is a Licensed Acupuncturist in the Roaring Fork Valley specializing in sports injuries.  She can be reached at 970.319.4123 or at the Aspen Club at 970.925.8940.

Entry Filed under: Fitness, Aspen, Colorado, Aspen Life Post, Aspen Club & Spa, Pitkin County, United Post