Whether you just love to be active, or you are a serious athlete with performance goals, we can help you be at your best. Our experienced team integrates acupuncture, massage, and exercise therapies, with nutritional assessment, biofeedback, and mind-body awareness training. We work with you to develop the best strategy to optimize your overall performance and health.

• Acupuncture and our holistic approach can help with:
• – Enhancement of performance and recovery time
• – Injury rehabilitation and prevention
• – Reduction of stress and performance anxiety
• – Nutritional optimization and herbal supplementation
• – Muscle strain
• – Knee pain
• – Low back pain
• – Neck pain and tension
• – Shoulder dysfunction
• – Tennis elbow
• – Carpal tunnel syndrome

One of acupuncture’s biggest effects is through relaxation of the fight/flight (sympathetic) system and promoting the restorative (parasympathetic) nervous system. This affects cardiovascular function, both locally where the tissue is being needled, and more generally at the heart and metabolic levels. With some acupuncture points in particular, there can be a strong reflex release of endorphins and the activation of the dopaminergic system in the central nervous system (amygdala and basal ganglia) – akin to a “runners high”. This explains why acupuncture is used for pain management and feelings of well-being.

There is a growing body of evidence to support that acupuncture can promote performance before a competition and also in recovery after training. Although the acupuncture effect is not limited to cycling and running, the research has focused mainly on these two areas.

Cycling Performance: Acupuncture has been shown to create an economical effect on heart function in cyclists, decreasing heart rate and increasing stroke volume. Lactic acid metabolism was delayed due to the increased performance of the cardiovascular system and better tissue blood distribution.

Another study found cyclists’ perceived exertion after acupuncture was higher, which led to faster race times and lower pain perception. A single needle leg treatment reduced the 1000 meter time for cyclists in an ergometer experiment.

Running Performance: Acupuncture was shown to significantly increase performance in 5000 metre runners. The authors called this phenomenon “the complexity factor”, where both pulse rate and run-time was significantly reduced together.  Acupuncture was shown to increase performance in shorter events too, such the 800 metres.

Acupuncture enables tissues to relax and heal after strenuous exercise. This can reduce recovery time between workouts. Motor point acupuncture (intramuscular stimulation or IMS) enhances recovery after competition, reducing fatigue and pain, possibly influencing neuromuscular reflex activity. Electro-acupuncture is shown to reduce muscle fatigue and stiffness at the end of a workout, and ear acupuncture can decrease heart rate and levels of blood lactic acid after short, intense exercise programs.

Whether working with muscle, connective tissue, or joint injury, back or core stability problems, we understand and complement your medical treatments. We develop appropriate rehabilitative and exercise strategies with you so that you are more aware of your limits and potential. We help you get back into training the sustainable way, and help you maintain fitness while preventing injuries. We work with you as partners to turn your weaknesses into your strengths!

Chronic stress undermines performance and general health. It shifts you body’s metabolism away from optimal functioning of cardiovascular, digestion and immunity, including your ability to focus. Acupuncture, massage, and mind-body awareness strategies can help you normalize your nervous system’s fight/flight activity.

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