Acupuncture and My Grossly Big Achilles

One thing I completely avoid talking about is my left Achilles. Only Sage really knew how much my Achilles affected me since he gets to see my limp around every morning and night. Even with him, I don’t feel much need to talk about it as it’s an obvious problem.

My left Achilles has been a curious thing though. I actually hurt it quite a long time ago when I was still playing basketball.  I went to a physical therapy for a few weeks and didn’t run during that time. As soon as my insurance ran out and I started playing basketball and running again I noticed it came back a bit. However I was OVER resting and monotonous physical therapy drills so I just ignored it. This worked for years and unless I did a long run with tons of vertical, it really didn’t bother me. Then a year ago, it got worse. There wasn’t a moment I knew it got worse, it just kind of did. Though my Achilles was stiff every morning and night, after a mile into a run the pain would (for the most part) subside. Thus, I’ve just been running through it and limping around whenever my Achilles wasn’t “warmed up”.

It's really amazing it doesn't hurt the whole time I'm running!

 To add to the  problem, the years of ignoring it led to the area around my Achilles growing huge! By looking at it, I figured somewhere along the lines I probably partially tore it and since it never healed a lot of scar tissue built up around it. Looking at my Achilles, I figured if I wanted it fixed a Dr. would tell me I’d have to have surgery to remove the scar tissue and I’d be out from running. After my experience with a little procedure earlier this summer, I wanted nothing to do with a hospital and a knife cutting me open (though I realize the importance of hospitals).

Oddly enough, I started giving up hope on my Achilles healing at the same time I become extremely intrigued by natural and integrative healing. Then, Sage got a great sponsorship by Integrative Healing Acupuncture & Wellness LLC here in Boulder. Miraculously, the awesome guy who helps out Sage,  Jeff Paulson (also a trail runner so he “gets it”), thought he could do something about my grossly big Achilles.

Sage using the Normatec Boots at
Integrative Healing Acupuncture & Wellness Center

I went to the appointment not knowing what to expect, but I was very open minded to anything.  Very quickly, Jeff confirmed my thoughts that I probably had partially torn my Achilles a while ago and scar tissue had built up around it. Then, much to my surprise, he said he could help heal it. All of a sudden  I had hope again. He then got to work learning about my muscles, seeing what areas were too tight and what areas were a little weak. As he did this, he shared his knowledge of the human body and I tried to take in everything I could. After trying to release some tension in my muscles, Jeff then asked me if I was willing to try acupuncture. I had no fear in agreeing to try it since I have read so many positive things about it. Plus, an extremely thin needle seemed a lot better than a knife going into my Achilles. Not to mention that I was almost positive it wouldn’t hurt as much as running up a mountain above 11,000 ft. like I had earlier in the day, nor as much as my Achilles hurts the morning after a lot of vertical and miles.

Jeff, keeping up his awesomeness, explained to me how acupuncture works and what exactly he would be doing. One by one, needles were placed in me from head to Achilles. Nothing hurt, though I will admit it was quite an unusual sensation as Jeff got my muscles to contact after a needle was placed. Then, I got a special treat I had never heard of, electro acupuncture!  I felt like a kid in a candy store (I’m obviously fascinated by this stuff).  Little electrodes we amazingly attached to the super thin needles in my left calf and Achilles. After I began to feel the steady pulse of the electrodes, they were left alone so they could do their work inside my calf and Achilles while my mind could relax.

To wrap this up:

I couldn’t have been more pleased with my experience. I really appreciate going to a place filled with nice people who understand athletes and the ways to keep them going without surgery or unnatural medicine. It really makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body in every aspect. In May/ June when I had one doctor tell me go to other doctors to see why I wasn’t absorbing iron properly and what was going on in my stomach, I felt really uncomfortable and out of place. Since everyone at Integrative Healing Acupuncture & Wellness LLC is used to dealing with athletes and believe 110% in what they are doing, I felt like I was in the right place.

Today, one day after the appointment, I did two loops up Mt. Sanitas. Probably not my best idea, but I don’t recall thinking about my Achilles as I started up. Of course, since scar tissue has been building up for years, my problems aren’t going to go away overnight. However, with a little treatment from Jeff and doing the things he told me to do on my own, I believe that my Achilles can be healed in a way that I am comfortable with, and in a way I can keep running.

Run Wild, Run Happy,

Sandi

Integrative Healing Acupuncture & Wellness LLC. 

Website: http://ihacupuncture.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Integrative-Healing-Acupuncture-Wellness-LLC/151917648252960