Getting injured is a life-changing experience. For athletes, it can even mean the end of their careers. Though nothing sounds good about such, injuries can also present new opportunities. After all, losing some of your motor skills shouldn’t be an excuse to stop living life.
Alternative medicine proves that there is hope after a crippling injury. It doesn’t replace conventional treatments. However, you can combine it with them. That’s because injuries don’t just impair you physically. It also affects your mental health and life perspective.
Skepticism and controversy may shroud alternative medicine, but the cases below prove that it can save lives just like conventional medicine.
Yoga: Helping the Body Heal from Shoulder Injuries
Lifting weights poses risks for shoulder injuries. If your form is wrong or you haven’t warmed up, your shoulder muscles may get torn when you lift weights. This injury may not incapacitate you permanently, but it may limit your shoulder mobility depending on the exact damage done.
After getting the appropriate treatment for the injury, yoga can help your body heal from its effects. The slow and fluid motions can prep your shoulders for more vigorous movements in the future. But of course, you should be monitored by a professional yoga practitioner. The practitioner won’t just address your injury, habits, and lifestyle. Some therapists even go as much as look at their clients’ day-to-day routines, stress management techniques, and sleeping and eating habits. According to some experts, making adjustments to everyday life can make people more aware of their imbalances. They can avoid unsafe practices like overtraining the muscles and risking injury.
Acupuncture: Offering Iliotibial Band Syndrome Relief
Iliotibial band syndrome is a common injury among runners. It’s when the muscles in the leg, knee, and the hip become overused. The injury doesn’t necessarily force a runner to stop running, but a long period of rest may be required. Cyclists can also sustain this injury due to improper sitting positions. Likewise, they may need a long rest before going cycling again.
If you sustain this injury, you can try acupuncture therapy while in recovery. Acupuncture uses needles to promote the body’s proper energy balance. Traditional Chinese medicine, which acupuncture is based upon, believes that health results from the balance between “yin” and “yang.” These two create the life force known as “qi” (pronounced as “chi”). An injury or disease supposedly disrupts the balance between yin and yang, and acupuncture can restore it by opening pathways for the qi. As a result, the body’s natural healing response cures the injury or disease.
Chiropractic Therapy: Helping Treat Whiplash
If you’ve seen videos of professional bone-cracking, that’s called chiropractic therapy. It can treat various spine injuries like scoliosis and injuries from accidents like a whiplash.
A chiropractor will examine your entire spine even if you didn’t complain about having a whiplash. If you got into a car accident recently, they’ll immediately consider the possibility of whiplash. The chiropractor will use a technique called motion and static palpation, in which they’d touch areas on your joints and spine.
They’ll also analyze how you walk and observe your posture and spinal alignment. Their findings will determine if you indeed sustained a whiplash.
Your chiropractic therapy plan will depend on the severity of your injury. And as with any alternative treatment, your overall health will also be looked at. Your chiropractor will recommend techniques to improve your musculoskeletal health and avoid injuries.
Vision Therapy: Helping Brain Injury Survivors Thrive
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect your vision. It can make your eyes unable to focus and sensitive to light. But thanks to vision therapy, survivors can regain their healthy vision. They can perform menial tasks again—like grocery shopping—without experiencing excessive visual stimulation.
When it comes to TBI, though, especially those that result from assault or accidents, other factors may affect your recovery. For instance, if you got it from an accident at work, you may be required to file reports and press charges to make your employer liable. This can cause additional stress. But with the help of alternative treatments, you can keep your stress levels under control. What’s more, a brain injury lawyer will take care of most of the work. You can focus on recovering and getting your life back.
Alternative medicine isn’t just for relaxation. It changes your mindset, allowing you to view injury not as the end of an endeavor but as a mere setback. Thanks to alternative medicine, many injured people have recovered in body, mind, and soul.
