3 tips to make your acupuncture treatment last longer
We are all busy Portlanders. We work hard. We play hard. We run too fast. We work too long. We celebrate too hard. We don’t have time to be injured. We certainly do not have time to invest in a health modality that isn’t effective.
We all know that Acupuncture improves athletic performance, mental-focus, and creative energy. Here are a few tips to ensure your acupuncture treatment “sticks” with you.
TIP 1: EAT!
While it might seem obvious to some to eat at some point before your treatment, it's not always common knowledge. We encourage our patients to eat, and eat something they know they will tolerate.
In order for the body to hold the acupuncture treatment, all of the energy in the body should be available to help you heal.Walking into a treatment with an empty gas tank is similar to walking into a workout hungry. It's not going to lead to anything positive. Please, eat an apple or something else delicious and nutritious 30 minutes prior to your appointment.
TIP 2: BE PATIENT!
High preforming individuals in and out of the work place are typically competitive (me included). And people with competitive mindsets aren’t always the best at being patient (again, me included!) Certainly, any athlete reading this article has struggled with doing “nothing” and taking full advantage of “rest” days (again, something I am guilty of!).
After treatments, I tell my patients to “have patience” – which is often the hardest part of acupuncture. Often, when I’ve poked around an injury, it could feel 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 To The Point PDX right into a workout or right back into a high stress environment will not facilitate you body staying in a state of health. If we’ve worked hard for the hour to minimize inflammation in your Achilles tendon, running 5 miles after the appointment could undo all of our work. Take the afternoon, eat well and realize that your system just got re-calibrated and work with your body to hold on to the dry needling or acupuncture treatment.
PRO TIP
Schedule our appointment on one of your off or rest days, or right after your workout. Much like physical training you get to see your acupuncturist once or twice a week for an hour. Implement the action steps listed above and watch the time needed from recovery of your hard work outs lessen. Listen to your acupuncturist like you would listen to your coach.