The Benefits of Stretching
Stretching does more than help prevent athletic injuries. Here are a couple of benefits to stretching:

• Improve range of motion. This is one of the huge benefits for athletes. The better an athlete’s range of motion and flexibility, the less chance of injury. No, flexibility doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get injured, but it sure does help.
• Reduce muscle tightness. You don’t have to be an athlete to get muscle cramps or tightness, and stretching is an easy way to help alleviate the associated pain and discomfort.
• Improve circulation. Stretching helps improve blood flow to your muscles and joints, and more blood means more oxygen and nutrients get to your muscles. This is a benefit everyone can enjoy.
• Improve posture and coordination. Proper stretching involves controlled movements and holding poses without wobbling. So, stretching has a secondary benefit to improving core strength, posture and coordination.
• Relieve stress. Stretching is very meditative. When done properly, you’re breathing steadily, focusing on your body and relaxing tight muscles. That’s meditation 101.
  

Tips on Proper Stretching
Stretching sounds pretty simple, but there are a handful of things to keep in mind to get the most out of your flexibility-increasing efforts.

• Never stretch when your muscles are cold. When your muscles are cold, they aren’t as elastic – there isn’t much blood flowing to them, and you can actually overstretch or injure muscles by cold stretching.
• Stretch after a short warm-up. Even though recent research suggests that stretching before a workout or activity can actually slow muscle-reaction time, many coaches and trainers still suggest stretching after a light warm-up so you can achieve your maximum range of motion out of the gate.
• Stretch after a workout. The absolute best time to stretch is after a workout. Your muscles are plenty warm, so this is the time to work on your range of motion and increase the blood flow to your freshly worked out muscles.
• Don’t over-stretch. Stretching isn’t supposed to hurt. Sure, you will feel some tension in your muscles, but if that tension is painful, back off the stretch. If you try to reach too far beyond your range of motion and over-stretch, you will damage your muscles.
• Don’t jerk or bounce. There is such a thing as ballistic stretching, where you essentially hop around to warm up your muscles, but it is best to either hold a static pose (static stretching) or perform fluid movements in dynamic stretching to properly stretch your muscles. Jerky or concussive movements may damage your muscles and joints, especially if you aren’t that flexible.
• Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Quick stretches don’t do much of anything. Holding static stretches for 30 seconds gives you time sufficient time to relax into the stretch and expand your muscles.
• Relax and breathe. “Breath into the pose” is something yoga instructors say all the time. If you’re having trouble with a stretch, straighten out of it, take a deep breath and move back into the stretch on your exhale. It also helps to concentrate on the muscle that you are stretching and willing it to relax.

Remember, stretching isn’t supposed to be painful. Only hold a pose as deeply as you are able. Runners and cyclists especially are not known for their flexibility, but adding regular stretching into your regimen will work wonders on you recovery.

The effective start date is July 1, 2012 but if you have received treatment this year and wish to be reimbursed for those treatments we can print you a detailed report for you to submit directly to your insurance company. There is a chance that some portion of your out-of-pocket costs may be returned.

Even if you do not have United or Anthem, you can always request a detailed billing report to submit to your insurance carrier. Not only might this help you recover some of your expenses, but it lets those companies know that their customers are actively seeking out Acupuncture as a healthcare modality. By doing so, the hope is that Acupuncture will be picked up by more carriers in the near future.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. Mike Allen L.Ac. is available Monday- Thursday and offers free 15-minute consultations to those with questions about how Acupuncture can be part of regular health approach.

1. Stay hydrated. Hydration is important for exercise anytime of the year but moreso during the summer months because you sweat more. Failure to properly hydrate can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion and even death.
2. Replace your electrolytes. Electrolytes are the substances that help conduct electrical signals throughout your body. Depleted electrolytes decreases your body’s performance, and sweating drains your electrolyte level. So, it is important to drink electrolyte-rich liquids while working out in the summer. Gatorade is the most popular drink, but e-caps and salt tablets are popular options, too.
3. Exercise early in the day. During hot summer months, the later you wait to do a workout, the hotter it will be, so workout early in the mornings, before the planet has time to heat up. If your schedule doesn’t allow for early morning exercise, go in the evenings. Just avoid the hottest part of the day (10:00 AM to 3:00 PM).
4. Back down the intensity on really hot days. Excessive heat and humidity can sap your energy, regardless of how well you hydrate. If your energy levels just aren’t there, back off the intensity and duration of your workout, because trying to push through will do more harm than good.
5. Wear light, moisture-wicking clothes. Sweating helps cool your body during hot summertime runs, but if the sweat doesn’t evaporate, no cooling occurs. Light, moisture-wicking materials help draw the sweat off of your skin and cools your body.
6. Wear a hat and/or oil-free sunscreen. Nobody wants to deal with sunburn or skin cancer, and in summertime, there’s more of a risk because people spend more time outside and the sun is more intense. Protect your exposed skin with sunscreen and a hat to help protect your skin from damage. Make sure you wear oil-free sunscreen, because the oil will clog your pores and prevent you from sweating.
7. Workout in the shade. Another way to protect yourself from the sun is to workout on a route or in an area that is well shaded. Shaded routes are also cooler and provide more scenery than the hot sidewalks on a city street.
8. Stretch afterwards. Stretching is important after every workout any time of the year, but since your muscles are more pliable in the summer months, take advantage and increase your flexibility and help stave off injury.

A Final Note About Humidity

Heat and humidity are a dangerous combination for athletes, especially at lower altitudes. On hot summer days when you are glistening while standing around, the humidity is so high that sweat is not evaporating, so your sweat isn’t cooling you off. Exercising and raising your body temperature only makes it worse. On days like these, the only thing you can do is back off the intensity and dump water over your head to help keep your body cool.

1. Load up on complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. Complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruit, brown rice, etc.) are an athlete’s best friend. Carbs provide the fuel for your muscles. The majority of an athlete’s diet should consist of carbohydrate sources. Lean proteins are another important nutrient source because they help build and repair muscles and increase metabolism.
2. Stay hydrated. Water is an essential ingredient for every bodily function, especially digestion. Dehydration can suppress your appetite and make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients. The best way to check your hydration is to monitor your urine color; pale yellow, almost clear, is what you’re shooting for. >> Learn more about Hydration and Athletic Performance
3. Replace nutrients during long workouts. There is usually enough energy stored in your muscles to sustain you for an hour of exercise. After that, your body needs some form of energy replacement, otherwise it will start breaking down the protein in your muscles for energy. Sports drinks, shot blocks and gels are popular sources of nutrient replacement used by endurance athletes.
4. Eat within an hour after exercise. Exercising depletes your energy stores and creates micro-tears in your muscles. Food is the only way to replenish your energy and repair your muscles. The sooner you can eat after a workout the better, but try to eat something within an hour. The longer you wait, the longer it will take your body to recover. If you find it difficult to chew food, consider a smoothie or other recovery drink. Incidentally, chocolate milk is the best post-workout recovery drink available.
5. See a nutritionist. Proper coaching can go a long way in sports, and nutrition is no different. Sports nutritionists specialize in helping athletes properly fuel their bodies. Beyond just recommending foods to eat, a sports nutrition specialist will ask about your eating habits, fitness/weight loss goals and training volume. They will then offer suggestions on the type, quantity and frequency with which you should eat in order to help maximize your athletic performance.
6. Record your meals. Though it may not seem like much fun, recording what you eat and how much is a valuable tool to assuring you get enough fuel. You can bring the information to your nutritionist to help further tweak your meal plan.
7. Stay away from fast and processed foods. Fast food and processed foods are anti-conducive to proper nutrition. Sure, it’s better to eat something (even a Big Mac) than to eat nothing at all, but train yourself to seek out healthy alternatives. Processed and fast foods have large amounts of fat, sodium and sweeteners that do more harm than good.
8. Snack between meals. The three-meal-a-day plan is falling along the wayside in favor of five meals. Eating smaller breakfast, lunch and dinner meals with sensible snacks in between improves your metabolism and energy levels, and it will stave of bouts of hunger that can cause over-indulging during meals. You’re not eating more; you’re just eating more often and in smaller portions.
9. Consider having blood work done. Having a sports physiologist perform a blood test can reveal what kinds of elements your body needs the most. Iron depletion is common for athletes, and a blood test is the only way to know for sure. The physiologist or your nutritionist can recommend supplements or foods rich in whatever nutrients you need most.
10. Avoid trendy diets. Pressure to maintain a certain weight for maximum athletic performance is something many athletes feel, especially women. But, you should never resort to fad diets to keep the weight off. Trendy diets usually have no scientific backing and may do more harm than good, especially if it’s some fashionable low-carb diet that encourages you to cut out the most important food group for an athlete.

Benefits Of Cupping
Listed below are the main benefits to a massage cupping session:

• Loosen tight muscles and adhesions. This is the main reason athletes find themselves in a massage cupping session. Cupping therapy literally pulls adhesions apart and relaxes tight muscles.
• Increase blood flow. Skin is drawn into the cup during a session, and doing this causes blood to draw to that area. Once the cup is removed, blood flows more freely, bringing nourishment and speeding the repair of damaged tissue.
• Reduce inflammation. The increased blood flow and pulling of skin away from muscles and joints also helps reduce inflammation by allowing the fluids to drain rapidly.
• Cupping pairs well with other treatments. Cupping isn’t a fix-all; it is just one method from a smorgasbord of different options. Compress treatments, and heat and ice therapy are two injury-rehab techniques that are enhanced by cupping.
• There are benefits beyond injury rehab. High blood pressure, fibromyalgia, arthritis, menopause and cellulite are just a handful of conditions on which cupping therapy is used.

What A Cupping Session Is Like
Now that you know some of the benefits of cupping therapy, let’s move on to what happens during a cupping session:

• Cups are placed at specific areas of the body. Depending on the affected area, either a single or several cups are placed on the body, at and around the point of pain.
• A vacuum is created within the cup to draw in the skin. Heat or a vacuum pump are used to create a vacuum in the cups and draw in the skin. Several inches of skin can be drawn into the cup.
• The area becomes red and engorged with blood. The constant suction is what forces more blood into the affected area to stimulate healing.
• The cup is removed after several minutes. After about 20 minutes, the cups are removed, allowing blood to flow freely throughout the affected area.
• The welts will go away in a week or so. There will be welts on your skin from a cupping session. Sometimes, the welts bleed a little right after the cup is removed. However, there is no permanent damage, and the welts will go away in about a week.
• Yes, it can be painful. Cupping pulls your skin into a small hole and holds it there for several minutes, so it can be painful. However, to many athletes, the pain of injury is much more unbearable, so the cupping therapy pain is worth it if they can get back to the sport sooner.

We had not one, but three food trucks parked out front. Manna From Heaven, Basic Kneads Pizza, and The Denver Cupcake Truck were on hand all night to help fill our guests’ bellies.

Upon arriving, guests were reminded to “check-in” to the location through their Facebook account. Checking in entered guests in the drawing for one of our many door prizes. People who didn’t have a Facebook ap on their phone could check-in to their account with the iPad we had available for the occasion. Visitors were also greeted with the smell of freshly popped corn.

The first 25 people through the door received a free Kinesio taping and a discount on a pair of sunglasses, but several sports and wellness vendors were on hand all night with products and information for guests. Here is the Rudy Project booth.

The libations flowed freely at our open bar, where two bartenders served wine and beer.

Here are a couple pictures of people enjoying themselves. All told, several hundred friends, family and clients came out to help celebrate the grand opening.

The last ingredient to a great party is music, and we had a DJ spinning beats all night.

Finally, here are several pictures of Dr. Clark chatting with her guests and posing for the occasional photo-op. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and helped make the event a huge success.

Photos courtesy of Isaac Mion

The first case was in the later stages of the condition with the patient suffering from: significant loss of facial continuity (droop), diminished sensitivity to a majority of the left side, diminished ability to taste, and excessive tearing. The clinical goal in this case was to attempt to reverse the symptoms of the condition through acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion.

Both the second and third cases arrived very soon after diagnosis (within 72hrs) and both manifested similarly with: dull occipital headache, mild tinnitus, mild loss of facial continuity. One case reported a sense of dizzyness or lack of balance. The clinical goal in these cases was to eliminate wind and disperse the qi of the channels coursing the head and face (Primarily Gall Bladder and Stomach).

Acupuncture point selection for these cases was very similar regardless of the stage or symptoms presenting. My preference for needling pathogenic wind cases is a very shallow insertion on the head and face with empirical depths on the distal points.

Primary Acu-Points Chosen:

1. Gall Bladder 20 (Fengchi)
2. Gall Bladder 14 (Yangbai)
3. Stomach 4 (Dicang)
4. Stomach 2 (Sibai)
5. Large Intestine 4 (Hegu)

Secondary Acu-Points Chosen:

1. DU 20
2. Stomach 6 (Jiache)
3. Stomach 36 (Zusanli)
4. Stomach 44 (Neiting)

*  Distal points needled bilateral
**Points on the head and face all needled Ipsilateral

For each of the three cases moxibustion was used via Tigertherm. This technique is designed to assist in dispelling cold and moving local qi and blood. In this application Tigertherm is used in two “routes”. One route beginning at Stomach 3 and following the Stomach meridian to Stomach 8 and the second,  sweeping the eyebrow from Urinary Bladder 2 across to extra-point Taiyang. I begin this technique on the unaffected side so the patient can feel the proper sensation and so I can gauge the warmth of the Tigertherm. Caution is used on the affected side due to loss of sensitivity; for which I use a lighter, faster technique.

Sessions for the acute cases were twice per week for three weeks. Sessions for the chronic case was twice the first week and once per week for the following four weeks. Acupuncture was always performed with other modalities incorporated accordingly.

The results of these treatments were all noticeably positive, all within six visits. In the acute cases, both reported no occipital headache and facial continuity perceived as ‘normal’ within the first four treatments. In a report of findings following the sixth treatment, the case with the dizzyness/lack of balance reported lower frequency and intensity of this sensation. The tinnitus remained relatively unchanged in this case. The second case reported improvement of the tinnitus to only occasional and very light.

The chronic case noticed an improvement of sensation and movement of the mouth and cheek within the first three treatments. With improved sensation the perceived facial continuity also improved. Within the first six treatments improvement was also made with the excessive tearing. The tearing was initially persistent throughout the day. Improvement in this case was: occasional tearing in the morning, easy to tear during the day, and less tearing over night. Results relating to loss of taste were inconclusive. The patient reported that she thought she could taste some things more than others but with no definitive way to measure, this change is considered negligible.

There are many factors that go into treating any patient. As such, results are often inconsistent. This approach may work very well in most cases and not at all in others. The beauty of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that you have many modalities at your disposal.

If you have any questions I am always available for a free 15-minute consult. Call or come by our downtown location at Accelerate Health~ Mike Allen, L.Ac.

Kinesio Tape is placed on muscles as well as joints in specific patterns to provide the most support possible. The tape itself is a latex-free, cotton material that breathes and flexes like regular skin. If properly applied, Kinesio Tape will stay on the body (even after showering or swimming) for three or more days and still be effective.

Benefits of Kinesio Tape
Injury prevention and rehabilitation are the main uses for Kinesio Tape, and listed below are some of the ways the tape helps heal and prevent injuries:

• Blood flow and healing increases. One of the main purposes of Kinesio Tape is to increase blood flow to an injured area, which helps the damaged tissue heal naturally.
• Kinesio Tape massages the affected area. Kinesio Tape is like a second layer of skin and is designed to expand and contract along with your skin. The extra expansion and contraction provided by the tape massages the area, helping to improve blood flow and reduce pain and inflammation.
• Muscle contraction improves. The motion of the tape also helps improve muscle contraction, making damaged or pulled muscles respond like normal, depending on the extent of the damage.
• Kinesio Tape helps reduce inflammation. Kinesio Tape slightly pulls the skin away from the infected area. This helps reduce pain from inflammation and allows better blood flow to heal the area and reduce overall inflammation.
• The tape helps stabilize joints. Kinesio Tape can also be placed on injured joints to help stabilize them, reduce inflammation and improve healing.

When To Use Kinesio Tape
As mentioned before, Kinesio Tape can be used to rehabilitate or prevent an injury, if you feel one coming on, and can supplement other rehab techniques. An evaluation can determine if Kinesio Tape will help your injury. With the skin preparation and taping patterns required for effectiveness, a trained professional, like the doctors at Accelerate Health, must apply Kinesio Tape.

Flowers
A bouquet of red-roses delivered to their workplace is the most popular Valentine’s Day gift. But, if you truly love your athlete and want to show how much you care about their endeavors, send them a bouquet of fresh fruit from Edible Arrangements.

Chocolate and Candy
Surprisingly, chocolate and other candies are still safe bets for athletes. For starters, regular exercise increases metabolism, so they can afford to cheat for a day and eat something sweet. Or, you could get them some gels, jelly-bellies or sports bars, which are kind of like candy but are still athlete-oriented.

Jewelry
Fancy jewelry (watches, rings, earrings, bracelets, etc.) isn’t a very practical gift for an athlete. Sure, jewelry is pretty, but it just gets in the way while training or racing. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on something they’ll only wear once, consider a Garmin, heart-rate monitor, iPod or something else you know they’ll love and wear every time they work out.

Pampering
What athlete wouldn’t want someone to pamper their tired body for a day? Send your Valentine to a health spa where experts can give them massages, pedicures and other rejuvenating treatments. Or, you could buy them an A.R.T., acupuncture or deep-tissue massage treatment.

Romantic Dinner
You can still have a romantic dinner with your athlete on Valentine’s Day, because athletes always need to eat. Choose a nice Italian restaurant, so they can load up on carbs. Or, you can make the meal yourself. Just have pasta in there somewhere.

Romantic Getaway
The romantic getaway to a tropical resort is one of the most expensive Valentine’s Day gifts one can give. If you go this route, pick a destination with a race nearby. If you’re not an athlete, doing the race with them is a sure-fire way to score extra points. If you do decide to go to a tropical paradise, make sure there is a gym at the resort or safe cycling or running routes nearby.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

How Hydration Aids Athletic Performance

During exercise, body temperature rises and muscles require more blood, and the main functions of hydration for athletes are to regulate body temperature and maintain blood volume. Water is a crucial component in blood, and your muscles require more blood when working out. In a properly hydrated athlete, blood volume remains constant, so there is enough blood for the muscles and the rest of the body and it is easily transported to the muscles. If fluid levels are too low, your blood will thicken, so it will not get to the muscles as easily.

Blood also helps absorb body heat and transports it to your skin, which is why you sweat. The evaporating sweat helps cool your body, too. If you are not properly hydrated, the aforementioned depleted blood volume will not transfer heat to your skin, so you will not sweat and can overheat.

Athletes who compete or work out for more than an hour at a time (marathoners, Ironmen, cyclists, etc.) need to replace nutrients while exercising, and proper hydration assists in nutrient absorption, too.

How Dehydration Affects Athletic Performance

Dehydration is a loss of water and fluids in the body, and it can have severe affects on your athletic performance and overall health. Inadequate fluid intake and improper fluid replacement mid- and post-workout are the biggest causes of dehydration among athletes; athletes simply don’t drink enough fluids. Exercising in hot, dry weather and excessive sweating are other causes.

Mild cases of dehydration are almost inevitable for athletes. You can never be perfect about replacing fluids, but your situation becomes more perilous as you become more dehydrated.

Listed below, in increasing level of severity, are ways dehydration negatively affects athletic performance:

1. Reduction of VO2 Max.
2. Feeling thirsty, loss of appetite and diminished endurance.
3. Cotton mouth and impaired performance.
4. Increased exercise effort, apathy, discomfort.
5. Difficulty concentrating, increased pulse and breathing rate.
6. Sleepiness, tingling, headache, stumbling.
7. Labored breathing, confusion, weakness, labored breathing.
8. Swelling of the tongue, muscle spasms, loss of balance.
9. Delirium, heat exhaustion, heat stroke or death.

The most severe cases of dehydration can lead to death because improper blood flow and excessive heat can cause your organs to shut down.

How to Properly Hydrate

Hydration is a never-ending battle for athletes. It’s easy to say “Just drink more water,” but knowing when and how much to drink before, during and after exercise takes practice. In an upcoming post, we will discuss how to properly hydrate so you get the most out of your exercise or competition.