Sports Performance

No matter how fit someone is, there’s always a weak link somewhere. Maybe it’s a restriction in mobility. Maybe it’s a muscle that’s firing late. Maybe you aren’t recovering as fast as you used to. Regardless of where your weak link is, our job is to find it and help correct it.

To look at it another way, being a Sports Acupuncturist is like being a race car mechanic. Our job is to take a fast car (your body) and make it even faster.

Increased Strength

Sooner or later, everyone hits a plateau. They’re an unavoidable part of the journey. But they’re a time to look around to see what you might be missing. Maybe it’s your programming. Maybe it’s something missing in your diet. Two common – yet too commonly overlooked – causes of plateaus are trigger points and muscle imbalances.

Myofascial Trigger points form in tight bands in your muscle. Usually, they form when there is inflammation near where the nerve attaches. Sometimes they cause pain. Sometimes they don’t. Either way, they are sending signals to your spinal cord that can weaken your muscle.

If the trigger point is in one of your prime movers, it can weaken your lift directly. If it’s in one of your smaller stabilizer muscles, your body will sense that you are unstable and it will keep your prime movers from producing maximum force.

Now for the good news. Dry needling – the type of acupuncture we specialize in – was specifically developed to treat trigger points and restore healthy muscle function.

Faster Recovery

It’s no secret that recovery is crucial to athletic performance. While post workout recovery gets most of the glory, recovery between sets can be the missing link to get the most out of your workout. This is where dry needling acupuncture comes in.

Numerous studies over the last few decades have shown that trigger points cause muscles to tire more quickly and recover much more slowly. How much slower? A study by Barbara Headley (1997) showed that muscles with trigger points in them took more than seven times longer to recover from exercise than healthy muscle. This can make all the difference when you’re trying to maintain your intensity through a long workout or dig down deep near the end of a WOD.

We’ll help you find your weak links, including stubborn trigger points that might be holding you back from making gains. What’s more, dry needling acupuncture was developed specifically to treat trigger points and restore healthy muscle function.

Improved Mobility

Face it. Most modern people can’t use their joints’ full range of motion. Think about it for a second. The majority of us sit for long periods driving, slumped at our computers or otherwise work jobs where we move through a limited range of motion. Over time, our muscles can tighten up to reflect how we move at school or at our jobs.

Now, if your goal is to excel at sports like CrossFit, Gymnastics, Olympic Weightlifting or Martial Arts you need full range of motion. If your mobility is restricted, it will affect your form. You won’t be able to generate as much power. You may be at increased risk of injury or, in some cases, you may not even be able to perform some movements at all.

As I mentioned earlier, mobility restrictions are often caused by tight muscles. When you come to our office, we’ll determine what muscles are tight and use Sports Acupuncture & Dry Needling to help “reset” those muscles so that they can relax properly and restore normal movement patterns.

Help Prevent Injury

Many high level and professional athletes get routine treatment to help prevent injuries and keep them on the field. For instance, many common sports injuries, including shoulder impingement, peroneal tendonitis and IT band syndrome can usually be traced back to muscle imbalances and/or weakness and poor coordination of the muscles that stabilize your joints.

Routine check ups with your sports acupuncturist can help find and correct muscle inhibition, imbalance and restricted mobility before they lead to more serious injury or reduction in athletic performance.

When Can I Get Started?

You can get started right away. Give us a call at (315) 935-5700, Monday-Thursday, to book your appointment at our N. Syracuse clinic. You can also book online. We look forward to helping you achieve your health and fitness goals!