After one acupuncture treatment, the pain was gone he could walk normally again. He was at first in disbelief, and he probably was wishing he had come in sooner, knowing two years were lost to this injury. He wouldn’t have even come in at all if not for the urging of his wife to try something different in order to get a better result. But at least he came in when he did, still with years left to on some level enjoy playing the sport he loved.

This isn’t an isolated story; it happens here all the time.

Most professional athletes are now aware of the benefits of acupuncture and most pro teams either have an acupuncturist on staff or on a short call list for both new and repetitive injuries. But many recreational athletes—especially men—just don’t think to try acupuncture to recover faster (or recover at all) from sports-related injuries.

Maybe it’s a cultural thing, or maybe they’ve never had an opportunity to learn and understand what acupuncture and acupressure are all about. Whatever the case, too many athletes are in unnecessary pain and paying far more for other care that isn’t working.

What I would wish is for the club soccer players, the recreational football players, the pickup-game baseball guys and gals, the golf enthusiasts and even the ultimate Frisbee stars to THINK to come in for acupuncture RIGHT AFTER they suffer an injury or notice something “nagging.”

The sooner they get in, the faster they’ll heal. And often, all it takes is a single session—especially when caught early. So, we’re calling all sprained toes, sore shoulders, kinked necks, wrenched backs, damaged knees, “tennis elbows” and “dead” arms!

If you hurt it on the field, court, diamond, ice, slopes or track … make acupuncture your first resort instead of the last. And if you’ve already had a positive acupuncture experience, please spread the word. We want more play and less pain among our athletic friends in the Bay Area.