Sports Injuries

Joining in with sports and other physical activities offers multiple mental and physical health benefits, but getting an injury isn’t much fun. If you experience a sports injury, call Acupuncture by Sue in Queens, New York City. Chinese medicine and acupuncture specialist Sue Du, LAc, MS, uses proven, safe treatments to help sports injuries heal and get you back to full fitness. Call Acupuncture by Sue to arrange an appointment, or use the online booking tool to schedule a consultation today.

What are sports injuries?

Sports injuries happen when playing sports, competing in athletic activities, or during training and exercise.

They occur when you push part of your musculoskeletal system — bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues — beyond the stresses it can sustain.

What sports injuries might I experience?

Common sports injuries include:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains
• Meniscus tears
• Dislocations
• Fractures
• Muscle strains
• Labral tears
• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
• Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
• Hamstring strains
• Sprained ankles
• Achilles tendon damage
• Rotator cuff tears

Sprains affect ligaments, the tissues that join your bones together, and tendons, which attach your muscles to the bones. The damaged tissues may stretch, partially tear, or rupture, often causing severe pain and loss of function.

Acute sports injuries like strains and sprains happen suddenly, but other conditions develop more slowly. These are typically overuse injuries, where you make the same movements repeatedly for long periods. Irritation and inflammation set in and gradually build until the affected area becomes painful and weakens.

Failure to treat sports injuries properly can lead to chronic pain. In the shoulder, immobilization can cause adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) to develop.

Is acupuncture a good choice for treating a sports injury?

Conventional sports injury treatment begins with physical therapy and medication. You might require a splint, sling, or even a cast. If initial treatments don’t work or you have a more severe injury, you might need more invasive treatment or possibly surgery.

One way of effectively reducing pain and encouraging sports injuries to heal is having acupuncture. This treatment involves inserting tiny, fine needles into specific parts of your body. Acupuncture improves blood flow, delivering oxygen, healing cells, growth factors, and nutrients to the damaged tissues.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners also believe that imbalances in the body’s energy (qi) can affect your ability to heal. Acupuncture restores balance and helps qi flow smoothly around your body, reducing fatigue, pain, and inflammation.

Sports medicine experts often recommend using acupuncture to complement conventional approaches as it’s a safe, noninvasive option. The needles don’t cause pain, so there’s no need for an anesthetic, and the risk of side effects is minimal. This makes acupuncture a great alternative to steroids and other injectable treatments.

You may also include cupping alongside acupuncture for further benefit.

Call Acupuncture by Sue to request a sports injury evaluation or schedule an appointment online today.