Overtraining Syndrome

ACUPUNCTURE AND OVERTRAINING SYNDROME

Over the past 10 years, it has been my pleasure to treat many, many patients and in particular many people engaged in athletic endeavors. In some cases, acupuncture alone has provided excellent results. In other cases, acupuncture has proven to be a good complement to other modalities including chiropractic and physical therapy.

Every athlete, professional or not, will inevitably encounter injury. Most sports injuries are to the soft tissue (e.g. tendons, ligaments, muscles). Many athletes never completely recover, and in some cases these injuries become the basis for future problems.

Besides soft tissue injury, another common situation encountered by highly motivated athletes is overtraining syndrome. Exercise and sports performed properly promotes health and reduces physiologic and psychological stress. Improperly performed, these activities may increase stress and reduce health. If the intensity of training is increased beyond the body's ability to adapt, and if a full revery is not made, training actually becomes a long-term cause of stress. Some of the symptoms encountered include:

General fatigue that does not improve
Loss of motivation
Feelings of depression, anxiety, irritability
Loss of Strength

These symptoms are beyond that felt after normal training and do not diminish after a few days of rest or reduced training.

Physiological Effects

Excessive musculoskeletal stress, coupled with insufficient rest and recovery, leads to local acute inflammation, which can evolve into systemic chronic inflammation.

Studies have also shown that excessive training can actually compromise normal immune function. The immune system, in addition to providing defense against bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells also participates in tissue regeneration after injury. Overtraining leads to reduced lymphocytes and antibodies, making the body vulnerable to illness.

The endocrine system is also affected. Athletes who have overtrained may show increases in cortisol and decreases in testosterone. A change in this ratio may result in more protein catabolism (breakdown) than anabolism (buildup) in cells.

Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture is a soft tissue therapy which has 3 effects to reduce systemic stress. It reduces pain, promotes tissue healing, and helps restore homeostasis. The needle induces a local response which causes the body to attempt to heal both the point where the needle is inserted and the surrounding area. The nerve signal from the point is is transmitted to and processed at the spinal cord and within the brain. These activate control systems which both relieve pain and restore homeostasis.

Most people are treated twice per week for 3 weeks. Within this period of time, people consistently report less pain, better sleep, and improved energy. In addition, at our clinic, we use specialized techniques to increase range of motion, strength and balance. As competitive people in every field know, it is not the fact that problems arise but how you deal with them that determines your success.