Orthopedic Acupuncture
Orthopedic and Pain Management
Orthopedic Acupuncture is the prevention and treatment of sports related musculoskeletal injuries utilizing acupuncture and all of its auxiliary modalities such as electrical stimulation, cupping, GuaSha, TuiNa (Chinese medical massage), moxibustion, and herbs, both internally and topically. These treatments specifically focus on releasing tight muscles, eliminating joint pain and increasing range of motion and flexibility. Orthopedic Acupuncture is beneficial to athletes of any sport, age and proficiency level. Our goal at Cataleya Wellness is to keep you active longer and performing at your optimal level while enjoying every minute of it.
Yelena Binder, proprietor and lead acupuncturist at Cataleya Wellness draws from her extensive athletic and personal training experience to help you heal from your injuries and improve your athletic performance. Whether you’re a dancer, a weekend warrior in recreational sports, or a professional athlete, this is for you. Whether you suffer from neck and shoulder pain, lower back and hip pain, knee, shoulder, ankle or wrist injuries, there is something in our “treatment tool box” that will get you on your way to healing and feeling great. Whether you want to get back on the field, on the road, in the ring, on stage, or in the water, we got you covered.
If your goal is to simply relax and release the aches in your neck and shoulders caused by your “desk job syndrome”, you will also be taken care of and leave feeling as good as new.
Auxiliary Modalities
Electrical Stimulation:
Also known as electro-acupuncture and neurofunctional acupuncture. Whereas acupuncture and other forms of Chinese Medicine has been around for centuries, electrical stimulation is a fairly modern modality. It can be used to stimulate acupuncture needles or cutaneously (points or channels directly on the skin). Utilizing electrical stimulation with acupuncture needles provides continuous stimulation throughout the duration of the entire treatment, enhancing the results.
Moxibustion:
Also referred to as “Moxa” is a warming technique that burns dried mugwort herb on or near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi and blood and dispel certain pathogenic factors such as cold and dampness. Moxa is a “tonifying” technique and works great in increasing energy and endurance.
Cupping:
Cupping originated in China thousands of years ago and has migrated throughout Europe, recently gaining popularity in the US.
There are various cups that are used:
Glass/fire cups, Korean suction cups, silicone cups and bamboo cups. As cups are applied to the body, suction is created pulling the muscle and the skin layer apart encouraging increased blood flow. Cupping releases lactic acid, stagnant blood, trapped heat, cold, and phlegm that is stuck deep in the muscle layer.
There are a few different techniques with which cupping may be applied:
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Fixed cupping: Cups remain in place throughout the entire treatment and are usually retained 5-20 minutes. This may leave circular marks on your skin that disappear after a few days to a week. It is important to keep the area that was cupped dry and away from direct wind or cold exposure especially for the first 24 hours after treatment.
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Sliding cupping: Similar to a deep tissue massage, cups are moved along an area of the body during treatment. Oil is used to allow the cups to slide without uncomfortable friction. This method can leave red-purple tracs on the body that disappear within a few days to a week after treatment. Just like with the circular marks, it is important to keep the area dry and minimize exposure to direct wind and cold for at least the first 24 hours after treatment.
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Fire cupping: Fire is added with glass cups to create suction. Fire cupping can be applied with the fixed or sliding method.
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Wet cupping: Requires a skin puncture to draw out toxins, stagnant blood and fluids. An antibacterial ointment is generally applied to prevent infection.
GuaSha:
A scraping technique that uses a GuaSha tool to scrape or scratch an area of the body to improve blood circulation and relieve pain and tension. As with cupping, GuaSha may leave marks on the skin that last from a few days to a week. It is important to keep the area treated dry and away from exposure to direct wind and cold, especially for the first 24 hours.
TuiNa:
Chinese Medical Massage that can be applied on its own, or in conjunction with acupuncture treatments to accelerate and improve treatment outcome.