Why Athletes Use Acupuncture
If you noticed the circular cupping marks on Michael Phelps at the 2016 Rio Olympics, you saw acupuncture and its sister treatments enter mainstream sports culture. But athletes have been using Traditional Chinese Medicine for recovery for decades. The reasons are practical: it works faster, has no side effects, and doesn't mask pain — it resolves it.
Acute Sports Injuries
For acute injuries — sprains, strains, muscle tears — acupuncture reduces inflammation and pain, improves local circulation to the injured tissue, and accelerates the healing process. Treating sports injuries with acupuncture within 24–72 hours of the injury can significantly reduce recovery time. The same mechanisms that produce the cupping marks — drawing stagnant blood and inflammatory compounds to the surface — work internally at acupuncture points near the injury site.
Chronic Overuse Injuries
Runner's knee, tennis elbow, shin splints, rotator cuff tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis — these chronic overuse injuries respond particularly well to acupuncture because they involve both tissue damage and nervous system sensitization. Acupuncture addresses both: it promotes tissue repair through increased local circulation and collagen synthesis, and it down-regulates the pain signaling that perpetuates chronic pain even after the tissue has healed.
Performance Enhancement
Beyond injury treatment, acupuncture can enhance athletic performance through several mechanisms: improving sleep quality and recovery, reducing cortisol levels (which impair muscle recovery and suppress immune function), improving lung function (particularly relevant for endurance athletes), and optimizing energy levels and focus. Many West LA athletes use regular acupuncture as part of their maintenance routine, not just for injuries.
Common Sports Conditions Treated
Janice treats a wide range of sports-related conditions including plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, shoulder impingement, low back pain, hamstring injuries, ankle sprains, and general muscle soreness and recovery. Cupping and electrical stimulation are commonly combined with acupuncture for sports cases.