John S. Varner, Acupuncturist
Amherst, MA
Coping with a sports injury?
Seeking to optimize performance?
Acupuncture Can Help!
My post-graduate training in sports acupuncture helps you reach your full potential.
Top performance relies on conditioning the mind, muscles and metabolism, and sometimes on rehabilitation. Acupuncture compliments physical therapy, stretching and massage in its ability to prime the body for action, and speed recovery. Acupuncture can balance muscle groups, enhance muscle activation and prevent injury. If you do get hurt, acupuncture can reduce pain and swelling and facilitate healing, getting you back to your training faster. Weakness, imbalances and injuries are identified via manual muscle testing and postural analysis. Specialized sports acupuncture techniques are employed to balance muscle groups and enhance the repair of injured soft tissue and joints. Finally, simple exercises are prescribed to lock in the benefits gained through treatment.
Masters of martial arts and Tai Chi have been using acupuncture to "move the Qi" - boosting and directing the body’s energy - for thousands of years to restore and maximize health and performance. Combining ancient wisdom with modern research on the action and treatment of nerves, muscles, tendons and joints makes the specialty of sports acupuncture a uniquely powerful and effective discipline.
Many conditions respond well to acupuncture:
Neck / upper extremity: neck pain, muscle tension headache, cervical spondylosis or degenerative joint/disc disease, dorsal scapular nerve entrapment, thoracic outlet syndrome, bicipetal tendonitis, subacromial bursitis, infraspinatus myotendinous strain, lateral and medial epicondylitis, pronator teres syndrome, triceps muscle/tendon strain, scaphoid fracture sequela, De Quervain's syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Low back / Hip: Low back pain, facet joint irritation, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, lumbar disc degeneration and injury, spondylolysis & spondylolisthesis, hip flexor strain, trochanteric bursitis, piriformis syndrome, hip pointer, glute maximus strain
Lower extremity: quad, hamstring and adductor strains, hamstring tendinopathy, medial collateral ligament and meniscus injuries, pes anserine tendinitus/bursitis, ITB friction syndrome, fibular head displacement, chondromalacia patella and patellofemoral syndrome, patellar and Achilles' tendinitis, gastrocnemius and soleus strains, popliteal cyst, tibialis anterior and posterior syndromes, tarsal tunnel syndrome, peroneus longus/brevis tendinopathy, ankle sprains, excessive pronation, plantar fasciitis and heel spurs, Morton's neuroma, and metatarsal and tibial stress fractures.
A commitment to health and personal excellence lies in the heart of any athlete, regardless of age. Supporting individuals as they pursue these goals is deeply gratifying to me. If you have any questions about sports acupuncture and whether it can benefit you, please call or e-mail.