By Duke Integrative Medicine
Plantar fasciitis, chronic back pain and tight IT bands are just a few of the many chronic conditions that afflict runners. And while many either work through the pain or seek relief from medication, some runners are now turning to acupuncture for relief.
Acupuncture is the ancient practice of inserting fine, surgical steel needles that are thinner than a strand of human hair into different acupoints in the body. The practice moves qi (pronounced “chee” and loosely translated as energy) and blood, helping to bring the body into balance, explains Laura Varga, DAOM, LAc, a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, licensed acupuncturist at Duke Integrative Medicine.
“There are more than 300 acupuncture points along the body, and we target specific ones depending on an athlete’s injury,” Varga says. “When there is trauma or pain, we say there is qi and blood stasis, or stagnation. With acupuncture, we’re able to move the old blood out and bring the new blood into the area to help speed up the recovery process.”
According to Varga, each acupuncture treatment begins with an evaluation of symptoms, a 10-question Chinese medicine questionnaire, the pulse, the tongue and a discussion of diet and lifestyle to make a diagnosis of what is causing pain or discomfort. Acupuncture needles are inserted into the body to activate the acupoints. Patients relax on a heated bed in a quiet room for the duration of the treatment. The next day, patients can resume normal activity.
Runners have found acupuncture helpful for chronic backaches, knee or foot pain and tight IT bands. While others have used acupuncture to speed up healing after surgery, most runners use it simply as part of the normal training regimen.
In some cases, herbal medicine is also used in conjunction with acupuncture as a holistic approach to address chronic pain and well-being. For example, herbs and acupuncture helped a long-distance runner in his early 30s who was sidelined by a nagging bout of plantar fasciitis that couldn’t be alleviated with Western medicine. Varga was able to get him back on the course after a combination of internal herbal medicine, external herbal treatments and about a half-dozen acupuncture treatments.
“Acupuncture is about moving qi and blood, nourishing, and bringing balance to the body,” Varga says.
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Laura D. Varga, DAOM, LAc, is a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, licensed acupuncturist at Duke Integrative Medicine. To make an appointment with Varga at Duke Integrative Medicine, call 1-866-313-0959.
