Runners, take your mark!  Warmer weather is almost here, and with warmer weather comes the 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons, obstacle courses and all sorts of fun runs.  Lots of you will be training for these events and if you’re an athlete (professional or novice), acupuncture can help you in your quest for optimum health.

Acupuncture is extremely helpful in helping to circulate blood efficiently throughout the body and to decrease inflammation. This is great news for athletes, as increased blood flow helps to nourish the muscles and tendons which are being worked to their capacity during training. Acupuncture also helps to decrease any inflammation that may occur during training or events, or inflammation that may happen if an injury is sustained.  Common running injuries include IT band inflammation and pain, ankle sprains and knee pain.  Coming in for regular acupuncture treatments during any training period may also help PREVENT injuries from occurring in the first place by enhancing the mobility of muscle fibers.

Check out this article for more info on acupuncture and athletic performance: http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/acupuncture-reversing-stressful-effects-running?page=single

Note: there’s a broken link at the end of the article on how to find an acupuncturist. If you’re looking for an affordable acupuncture clinic, check out www.pocacoop.com which provides a list of community acupuncture clinics by state. Always make sure that your acupuncturist is licensed and board-certified, as well as someone who graduated from an accredited acupuncture school with a Master’s in Oriental Medicine.