Acupuncture does runners good

Or so they say.

As many of you already know, I am dealing with my first running-related injure since I started this sport. What I found out being injured is that there are as many option on how to treat the problem as different doctors are. The only advice they all share is one: stop running until I recover. Something that we, runners, hate to listen to.

The Sport Doctor I first visited recommended me some pills for the inflammation and rest. He also added "If this treatment do not alleviate the symptoms, a cortisone injection can be considered. I followed his instruction for long enough until I decided that pills won't work and after reading online and getting some other advices, I decided not to get the injection and find about other solutions.

I bumped into a friend who is teaching at Suomen Urheiluhierojaopisto (Finnish Sports Massage Academy) and checked my foot (we were in a party). He recommended me to go to his clinic and get some sports medicine acupuncture. As I always do, checked online and read that "the acupuncturist places fine hair-like, sterile needles at specific acupuncture points and motor points in the body. The safe and pailess insertion of needles can help to release muscle tension, relieve pain and help maintain a healthy running body." I was excited to try this option and positive it might help to solve my problem and I went to the appointment (I just came back from there).

The true is that "painless" is not what I exactly would call it. For me, the feeling was weird and couldn't relax enough because there was something going on on my legs: needles. I was sweating and uncomfortable (let's say I don't like needles). Although not painful, it's neither painless. Right now I have some tape covering my foot to protect the injured muscle which I have to keep for 3 days and a new appointment for next week. I will let you know as soon as I feel some improvement but I will have to stop training for a while.

There are a couple of races coming in the new future (including Helsinki Midnight Run) I feel positive that I will be injure-free by then and be able to run.