acute injury and dulls the pain, but it does so at a cost. Contracting the local blood vessels by freezing them inhibits normal circulation—acutely and down the road. To illustrate, close your eyes and imagine go- ing outside on a cold winter’s day, without a coat. You can feel how your body literally draws into itself when exposed to the cold. Any athlete knows how much harder it is to stretch and warm up in cold weather. Icing an injured area is no different. Static blood and fluids congeal, contract, and harden with icing, making them harder or impos- sible to disperse later. This can lead to long- term residual pain and eventually arthritis in the affected area. Those old injuries that hurt in cold, rainy weather? Ice may be part of the culprit. The good news is that with Chinese medicine we can get the benefits of ice without the cost by employing alternative techniques that reduce swelling and inflam- mation while restoring normal circulation quickly. These include: 1. Acupuncture: inserting hair-thin nee- dles into specific points that move energy, stop pain, and stimulate circulation. 2. Cupping: a type of physical medi- cine (suction, primarily), often paired with needling techniques on the local area to literally draw out and disperse blood and fluid that is coagulating and blocking nor- mal circulation. 3. Massage: with liniments containing herbs that penetrate the skin to move the blood, reduce inflammation, and stop pain. 4. Herbal poultices and plasters: ap- plied topically to reduce inflammation and stimulate circulation, helping torn muscles and tendons to heal.


5. Herbal internal medicine: pills or


powders taken internally to promote blood circulation and prevent blood from stagnat- ing further.


If you don’t have access to acupuncture or Chinese medicine and these ice alterna- tives, try using ice only 10 minutes out of every hour. This will reduce the swelling but minimize side effects. For severe injuries, it’s of course always important to visit your Western doctor, get imaging (x-ray, MRI) as necessary, and confirm or rule out fractures or serious liga- ment or tendon injuries. Western diagnosis and treatment are important in these cases, but once you’ve got your diagnosis, acu- puncture and Chinese medicine are still very much indicated and will expedite your recovery. It’s great to include alongside your physical therapy, chiropractic, or other relevant care. The same is true in the event that surgery is required: properly prescribed acupuncture and Chinese herbs before and after surgery can significantly increase positive outcomes and decrease recovery times. We have both topical and internal medicines that can stop bleeding immedi- ately, ease pain, and knit broken bones. I’ve known multiple patients whose Western doctors were astonished at how quickly and strongly their broken bones healed. The secret? They took bone-kitting herbal formulations during the healing process.


I started off our discussion with acute


back spasm and an ankle sprain because these are probably the two most common acute injuries I see in my office. Ankle sprains can happen all too easily, whether you’re trail running or crossing an uneven street downtown. A badly sprained ankle can be extraordinarily painful and slow to heal.


Acupuncture can reduce the pain and


swelling dramatically in a matter of minutes, and the use of topical and internal medi- cine will speed recovery time and facilitate a full recovery in even the most severe sprains. Acupuncturists also have a different


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perspective on your health, more broadly, and may be able to identify constitutional, dietary, or lifestyle factors inhibiting your recovery that other health care practitioners would miss.


Other acute musculo-skeletal condi-


tions for which you might seek out acu- puncture and Chinese medicine include the following:


• Back sprain/strain—lower or upper • Back—herniated disc • Concussion


• Contusions/bruises • Dislocations • Elbow sprain/strain • Eye—contusion (black eye) • Finger—jammed/sprained • Foot pain • Fractures


• Groin muscle—pulled/strained • Hamstring—pulled/torn


• Knee—pain, torn ligament, torn meniscus • Muscle cramps/spasms • Neck strain/sprain


• Shoulder—rotator cuff tear • Wrist—sprain/strain


Whether your injury is minor or so


severe it requires hospitalization, Chinese medicine advocates for immediate treat- ment. Many of us take a “wait and see” attitude with injuries, assuming they’ll get better on their own. Sometimes they do, but consider your knee pain that flares in cold damp weather. Is it related to that skiing injury from when you were 20 that “got bet- ter on its own?” Minor problems addressed promptly are less likely to develop into larger problems or chronic conditions. In closing, whatever the injury, expe-


dite recovery without drugs and reduce the need for surgery with Chinese medicine. Use it alone or in conjunction with Western medicine for more serious injuries. Find a practitioner and get started today.


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Alexa Gilmore is a board-certified acu- puncturist and Chinese herbalist practicing Chinese medicine at ATX Acupuncture in Portland, ME. Alexa is also a manual thera- pist with years of clinical experience using deep myofascial techniques and Cranio- Sacral Therapy to resolve a wide variety of acute and chronic musculo-skeletal issues. She has a deep affinity for working with acute and chronic pain conditions, and is happy to be partnered with the Portland Ballet as the company acupuncturist. Learn more about Alexa and ATX Acupuncture at www.atxacu.com. See ad on page 17.


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