As we’ve discussed previously, maintaining adrenal health is essential if you wish to feel and look your best, reach your fitness goals, and prevent disease. Knowing this and considering how long I’ve known my own adrenals have been off, it’s high time I took care of this issue.

In an effort to treat my own adrenal derangement, I have been investigating alternative medicines and treatments. My hope is that these might bring my neurotransmitter and cortisol production back into a normal rhythm and range. My first stop of the road to recovery via holistic therapies is acupuncture.

Many seek out acupuncture to reduce pain, treat addictions like smoking, and aid with mood disorders, among many other reasons. Studies have shown that acupuncture helps to regulate the HPA axis thereby correcting problems that arise from adrenal hormone and neurotransmitter derangement like depression, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia. It all sounds promising, but I wanted to know how this works and what to expect from the treatment.

I decided to ask an expert, Dr. Ashlee Binns, owner of The Healing Point in Sarasota, FL. Dr. Binns has been in private practice since 2004 and is a licensed acupuncture physician in the states of Florida and New York, as well as being nationally board certified in Oriental medicine. Below she explains in her own words how acupuncture can help the HPA axis return to normal function and what a patient could expect from the therapy.

V: How does acupuncture help the body to return its natural production of stress hormones?

Dr. Binns: The body’s functions require a constant state of internal balance, called homeostasis. On the cellular level, the body can tolerate only small variations in temperature, pH, and the concentration of various substances around the cells. The kidneys, liver, endocrine glands, and skin are responsible for maintaining homeostasis.

Acupuncture points are believed to trigger the body’s regulatory mechanisms to release chemicals into the muscles, brain, and spinal cord. The chemicals either reduce pain and inflammation or stimulate secretion of hormones or other chemicals to initiate the body’s self-regulating systems. Therefore, acupuncture exerts a strong homeostatic effect to restore the body’s natural healthy balance. Studies have shown that acupuncture has a regulatory affect on the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and can positively alter brain chemistry to promote physical and emotional well being.

V: What is the normal treatment prescription? How often should one have acupuncture done and when should they expect to see improvement?

Dr. Binns: Treatment prescription is based on the patients – their body type, the health challenges they are experiencing, how long they have been experiencing these challenges, and their lifestyle. Sometimes people notice a significant difference after their first treatment, while others take a series of treatments. Getting acupuncture is kind of like exercising in that the more treatments a patient receives, the more results they will experience. Depending on the severity of the condition and symptoms, generally patients should receive one to three treatments per week for about four to eight weeks, and then a maintenance program can be established.

V: What should a patient expect during and after treatment?

Dr. Binns: Ideally, patients should eat an hour or two before treatment and avoid any caffeine right before their treatment. Patients should wear comfortable, loose clothing and expect to be lying on the treatment table for 30-45 minutes. During the treatment, they may feel relaxed, heavy, tingly, drowsy, or even fall asleep.

The more acupuncture they receive, the more relaxed they will feel during the treatment. In addition to providing acupuncture, practitioners may prescribe an herbal formula and make dietary or supplement recommendations for the patient to reinforce the treatments and speed the recovery process.

After the treatment, the patient may feel drowsy or very relaxed for about an hour, and then feel refreshed and mentally clear. It is best to not do any strenuous or stressful activity after an acupuncture treatment so that the body can retain the effects of the treatment. It can take up to 48 hours for a patient to feel the full effect, but it’s okay to return to normal daily routines the day after the treatment.

V: What signs should the patient look for that might signal his or her condition is improving?

Dr. Binns: Improvement in conditions from acupuncture treatment is usually subtle and gradual at first. Before patients notice that symptoms are subsiding, they may first notice that sleep is improving, they have more energy, they are feeling less stressed, their thinking is more clear, their mind is more alert, bowel movements become more regular, and they feel an overall improvement in digestion. These are all “side effects” of acupuncture, indicating that the treatment is effective and the patient should continue until their symptoms have subsided or become manageable. Once that has been achieved, the practitioner will recommend a maintenance program to prevent the patient from going back to being so severely out of balance.

With all the talk about adrenal fatigue lately, few have focused on doing more than changing their workouts, stressors, sleep habits, and maybe taking some supplements. I think we’re missing out on a great therapy that could enhance the healing effects of these other treatments. Plus, the healing and regulatory effects of acupuncture may very well help your body respond to training, dieting, and any fitness or health pursuit you engage in. Tomorrow I have my first treatment. Wish me luck!

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Healing the Adrenal System: Acupuncture and the HPA Axis appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Arnold Schwarzenegger used to get acupuncture to speed up his recovery in the 1970s. It’s shown in the epic documentary Pumping Iron. Acupuncture has long been used for its pain relieving qualities, among its many other positive effects. As a practitioner myself, I know it’s effectiveness, but often share in my patient’s frustration when they feel amazing leaving my office only to have their symptoms return the next day.

There are definite ways to “undo” the benefits of any holistic treatment and, conversely, there are also ways to help the desired effects of the treatment last and last.

Fortunately for me, I’m marrying someone who didn’t spend her spare time during acupuncture school getting punched and kicked in the head. I sat down with Revolution Wellness founder, the lovely and talented Alexandra Carmel and asked her to elaborate on the two most important tips she advises her patients to facilitate a longer lasting benefit to their acupuncture treatments.

Before Treatment: Eat

While it might seem obvious to eat at some point before your treatment, it’s apparently not. Alexandra explained:

Before treatments I highly recommend to my patients that they eat, and eat something they know they will tolerate. Often times I’ll have patients show up for a 1:00pm appointment and they’ll walk in and tell me that they haven’t eaten since 7:00am that morning!

In order for their body to hold the treatment, all of their energy should be available for healing. Walking into a treatment with any empty gas tank is similar to walking into a workout in the same way. It’s not going to lead to anything positive. Please, eat an apple, some other fruit, or something nutritious about thirty minutes before seeing me.

After Treatment: Be Patient

People with competitive mindsets aren’t always the best at being patient. Certainly any athlete reading this article and doing research on performance has probably struggled with the idea of doing “nothing.” Alexandra explained that being patient is essential when it comes to acupuncture treatment:

After treatments, I tell my patients to first, “Be Patient.” Often times when I’ve poked around an injury, it feels worse than it did beforehand. This is only temporary and will subside in twenty-four hours. Have patience, but also, treat yourself with kid gloves for a day or two.

Running from my office right into a workout or right back into a high stress environment will not facilitate your body staying in a state of health. If we’ve worked hard for the hour to minimize inflammation in your shoulder, surfing for three hours right afterwards is not my strongest advice. Take the afternoon, eat well, realize that your system just got recalibrated and work with your body to hold onto the treatment.

There you have it folks, two simple steps that you can take before and after your visit with your acupuncturist to ensure the treatment holds and you receive as much benefit as possible.

Much like physical training, you get to see your acupuncturist once or twice a week for an hour, but have the entire rest of the week to your own devices. Implement the action steps listed above and watch the time needed for recovery lessen and lessen. Listen to your acupuncturist like you listen to your coach.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post 2 Tips to Make Acupuncture Benefits Last Longer appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

While research has not proven its efficacy in that regard, thousands of people in the United States still turn to this alternative medicine technique to stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue.¹ Acupuncture appears to help the body naturally deal with pain by increasing blood flow. A recent study done by Japanese researchers indicates that acupuncture therapy may also aid in mitigating muscle loss.²

The results of the study showed that decreases in muscle mass in mice can be significantly reversed by acupuncture. Akiko Onda, an acupuncturist and graduate student at the Waseda University School of Sport Sciences said, “The main focus of this study is changes in the mRNA expression levels of muscle-specific atrophic genes such as atrogin-1.” Onda continued:

Muscle mass and structure are determined by the balance between protein degradation and synthesis. It is my hope that this study will demonstrate acupuncture’s feasibility with regard to improving health among the elderly and medical patients. Our findings could identify acupuncture as the primary non-pharmacological treatment to prevent skeletal muscle atrophy in the future.³

The results of this study are quite promising since it uncovered one particular molecular mechanism responsible for the efficacy of acupuncture treatment and clarified its usefulness in preventing skeletal muscle atrophy in mice on the molecular level. Losing skeletal muscle mass has a negative effect on the elderly and sick, and inhibits their ability to participate in physical activity. Resistance training, improved nutritional habits, and other methods are often recommended to help deter muscle atrophy. Those who are already at a disadvantage from being frail due to age or sickness may not be able to implement those methods. Consequently, the possibility of using acupuncture as a non-pharmaceutical method to help prevent atrophy seems like a beneficial alternative.⁴

Acupuncture is still considered to be quite obscure, and is still not completely understood since all of its underlying mechanisms are unknown. This is why it is still considered an alternative form of medicine, and is still not accepted in the medical world as an effective and legitimate treatment for preventing skeletal muscle loss. However, with advancing research, acupuncture may soon be accepted as a new strategy for preventing skeletal muscle loss. Fortunately, this study has piqued more interest and will result in more in depth studies on acupuncture, in hopes of better understanding its mechanisms, and convincing the world of its efficacy.⁵

The post New Science: Acupuncture Can Prevent Muscle Atrophy appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What happens though when rest and ice don’t completely finish the job, or aren’t enough to get an athlete back into their sport fast enough? Sure the body has its own innate healing capacity, every living creature does. What are some other options? Options that once used to treat a current injury can also be used to prevent a future one?

Acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy, and massage are all relied upon equally by people who used their bodies to make a living as well as recreation athletes. Often times though, people aren’t sure which healing modality is appropriate for their particular type of injury. Today we are going to explore each one and when each can be used most successfully.

ACUPUNCTURE:

Acupuncture is but one part of the complete medical system that is Traditional Chinese Medicine and involves inserting hair-thin needles in predetermined points on the body to elicit a neurological and/or hormonal response to facilitate healing. Acupuncture has been used effectively for centuries to treat all manner of internal medical issues ranging from menstrual irregularities, menopausal regulation, infertility, and in the West for its better-known effect on pain and injury.

For athletes I recommend acupuncture in two ways:

1. Preventatively acupuncture is a fantastic way to increase recovery speed during arduous training cycles, de-enflame specific trouble spots that are prone to tendonitis and pain, as well as boosting overall immune levels.
2. Acupuncture can also greatly increase healing time for non structurally based acute injuries such as strains, sprains, tears, and any other trauma where inflammation is an issue (most of them), in addition to drastically reducing the recovery time needed post surgery. I get most of my referrals from Chiropractors who are having success adjustments with their patients but still finding them to have nerve pain and/or numbness lingering.

I personally used acupuncture after having my ACL partially torn from a heel hook. My treatment course was three acupuncture treatments with electro-stim per week for six weeks and in that time I went from not being able to walk without assistance to fighting MMA with a neoprene brace on. Acupuncture works.

CHIROPRACTIC:

Founded by D.D. Palmer in 1890, chiropractic comes from the greek words “chiro,” meaning “hand,” and “praktikos,” meaning “concerned with action.” It uses the manipulation of the spine and other joints as the main form of treatment. Although the chiropractic industry has had a long and checkered relationship with the American Medical Association, it has proven itself to be both an effective means of treatment and a necessity to millions of patients.

I personally refer patients to chiropractors all the time and usually it’s for one of the following two reasons:

1. They come in with a clear structural issue. Patients who come in presenting with scoliosis, or acute trauma to their neck, back, or other spinus process are getting a pass from me and a direct hand-off to a chiropractor. Although chiropractors successfully manage all manner of disease, backs and necks are their bread and butter. Chiropractors know the spine like Eddie Bravo knows the rubber guard. If you fall and tweak your back, feel something go out during a heavy lift, or wake up with acute neck pain, a chiropractor may be a lifesaver.
2. Soft tissue injuries, limb numbness and/or tingling, are resolving themselves and then returning in a similar pattern. If I’m treating a patient for neck pain, shoulder pain, scapular area spasms or anything similar and they leave my office without pain and/or spasm, only to return two days later (without additional trauma to the area – like seven minutes of burpees) with the exact same presentation, then I need to look further into whether the root cause of the issue is structural. If this happens again, they’re going to see a chiropractor.

After a car accident in high school (not my fault, I’m from the east coast and therefore know how to drive) followed by two incidents of much larger, beginner Brazilian jiu-jitsu players trying to twist my head off, I’m left with a compression fracture in my neck. Through regular chiropractic visits however, I’m able to keep the issue at bay and am thankful for the results.

PHYSICAL THERAPY:

Commonly referred to as PTs, physical therapists are your body’s rehabilitative specialists. Using techniques to both facilitate expedited healing times as well as prescribing post-treatment exercises, stretches, and mobility work, PTs are a valuable tool in your healing arsenal.

Physical therapists are akin to your car’s bodyshop expert. They aren’t as concerned with the motor, the plumbing, nor the exhaust, but know fenders, doors, and tires like the backs of their own hands. Developing relationships with good PTs is essential for athletes and anyone who plans on getting any older!

Physical therapy does its best work in my opinion in the following cases:

1. Immediately following an acute trauma or accident, once the initial pain levels and inflammation have decreased enough to allow movement. The day of a car accident probably is the time to see your acupuncturist, or chiropractor but not your PT. That being said, once you can walk or move, they are going to be of great service. PTs will not only make sure the specific issue is healing well, but they will also give you movements to do on your own to ensure not only the injury is resolving itself, but also that it hasn’t left you with any imbalances or permanent changes in your movement patterns.
2. With repeated injuries to the same area. If you’re spraining or straining the same ankle, the same shoulder, or same knee more than once, go see your local PT. When musculature is either not strong enough to do its job, or so strong that it’s doing someone else’s job, you’re going to be prone to injury. The human organism strives for balance always. We have muscles on the front of our bodies and muscles on the back of our body as well as tendons and fascia surrounding each joint. When there is an imbalance from front to back or left to right, and you add in repetition like walking, running, lifting, squatting, etc., those imbalances lead to muscles, tendons, and bones pulling on each other, rubbing up against each other, or being moved outside of their homes. Physical therapy exercises can do wonders to prevent that all from happening by re-establishing physical balance.

MASSAGE:

Per Wikipedia, massage is the working of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue using various techniques, to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. Every week, my massage therapist, Katie Carlo, actually grabs my right scapula, or shoulder blade, by reaching through my left armpit all the while laughing ala Heath Ledger’s Joker in Batman Returns – so I’m going to tread lightly here.

Let’s break massage down into two categories just for the purposes of this article – Swedish and Sports. Swedish massage is the light, feel-good massage you get your mom for her birthday. We can write an entirely separate article on the healing power and necessity of physical touch, but for this week, let’s focus more on Sports massage or anything beyond superficial manipulation.

Let’s also start with a very basic tenet – massage is a FANTASTIC healing modality and should be used by EVERY single athlete on a weekly or bi weekly basis.

I believe that it’s best utilized in the following fashion:

1. As prevention. Getting massage is similar to brushing your teeth. You don’t have to do either one, but who likes root canals or trips to the orthopedist. The beneficial health effects of regular massage for athletes include: reduction in stress hormones, the breaking up of muscle adhesions, and the release of both spasms and inflammation. Plus they feel good.
2. Post injury. If you’re getting regular massages, your likelihood of injury should go way down. That being said, stuff happens. A big part of injury rehabilitation is getting fresh blood flow to the affected area. A good pair of hands will can do wonders with both a local trauma as well as the area both above (upstream) and below (downstream) from the injury itself. An injury in your neck can manifest with spasm deep in your shoulder, chest, and forearm, all which can in turn, develop into their problem. Releasing that spasm and taking pressure off of your entire system can better direct your body’s healing energy to the core issue.

All of the above four listed therapies are amazing healing systems, each with their own inherent strengths and weaknesses. None of them will do any good however, unless they are used. Athletes are notorious for not wanting to take themselves out of practice or the game unless absolutely necessary which unfortunately means that they often seek help too late. Read this great article by Breaking Muscle coach Lindsey Mathews for more reasons why an ounce of prevention can avoid months on the sideline.

In case you missed it, go back and read part one:

Healing Choices, Part 1: The 4 Modalities of Healing and What to Do First

The post Healing Choices, Part 2: Choosing the Right Treatment appeared first on Breaking Muscle.