Integrative Medicine treatment tools used at Ideal Balance in Tampa, FL

Sports Medicine Acupuncture®

Sports Medicine Acupuncture® blends the holistic approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the specificity of Western Sports Medicine protocols. Patients with athletic injuries, repetitive strain injuries and postural strains are assessed and then treated from a broad perspective and a wide range of treatment tools, including acupuncture, deep tissue massage and manual techniques, corrective exercises, and herbal therapy.

The following are used to assess the patient:

1. Orthopedic evaluation to correctly determine the fixed site of pain and regions that are injured.
2. Postural assessment to determine muscle and connective tissue imbalances that contribute to the pain or prevent the body from healing properly.
3. Traditional Chinese Medicine which is used to assess the patient from a systemic viewpoint and helps determine how the body is dealing with things such as inflammation, muscle, tendon, ligament and joint repair, nourishment to these tissues and general maintenance.

Once accurate information is obtained from assessment, the patient is treated with acupuncture, deep tissue manual therapy, and cupping, guasha and other tools from Traditional Chinese Medicine. The patient will often be given corrective exercises to help with the effectiveness of the treatment. The goal of all intervention is to stimulate healing, correct postural disparities, improve the health of the entire system to support the body’s progression back to health and wellbeing.

Structural Integration

Structural Integration is the body of work developed by Dr. Ida Rolf and known by ‘brand’ names of Rolfing, Hellerwork, KMI, CORE™, etc. Brian Lau received his training at the CORE™ Institute and has studied additionally with many well know certified rolfers.

Structural Integration utilizes deep myofascial release techniques (techniques which work with the muscles and connective tissue) to realign the body and create ease and efficiency of movement. This work is often organized into 3-10 treatment sessions scheduled relatively close together (1-2 weeks apart) during which the practitioner focuses on specific session goals and regions. Generally the first several treatments open and balance the outer more superficial layers of the body, working on strain patterns which disrupt balance, movement and ease in the body’s ‘sleeve’. This is followed by progressively deeper work to lengthen, balance and release the deeper ‘core’ layers where many of the longer held strain patterns can be found.

This work is known for its long lasting results due to the comprehensive nature of the sessions. Patients feel longer and lighter, have a greater sense of ease and efficiency of movement, and have reduced pain. After the series of sessions, patients often receive follow up work at a more spread out interval. This depends on many factors, but often involves 1 session every several months.

Trigger Point Dry Needling and Trigger Point Injection

Trigger points (TrPs) are hypersensitive nodules that can develop in a muscle that is strained. TrPs can produce much pain and have characteristic pain referral patterns that the patient may experience quite a distance from the site of the TrP. TrPs are often involved in chronic and acute pain, headaches, shoulder, neck and back dysfunction and many other problems. TrPs in the muscles of the torso (such as the abdominals) can even contribute to dysfunction with internal organs causing or contributing to digestive problems.

TrP injection involves injection of natural sterile substances (often homeopathic) into the point. TrP Dry Needling does not inject a substance, but uses an acupuncture needle instead (therefore it is considered ‘dry’ as there is no substance injected). In both cases, it is the needle that does the therapeutic work, while the injectable also contributes added effects. In this type of needling, taut bands within muscles are palpated and the TrP is located within this band of tension. The needle is inserted into this site. Often times the muscle will twitch or fasciculate, which serves to reset the tone of the muscle and deactivate the TrP. Many times the needle will then be manipulated in an in and out motion to fully deactivate the region. This technique can be considered similar to pressure from massage, but is much more precise and effective.

Deactivating TrPs can serve as a very successful strategy to work with many pain patterns. Injection and Dry Needling can serve as a stand alone treatment or Dry Needling can be included in an acupuncture treatment^* in which case the needle will be retained with the others for the duration of the treatment.

^*This type of work has been described for thousands of years in acupuncture from China. Currently there is a tradition becoming popular in the West which parallels that done in China. With this in mind, Dry Needling is really an extension of acupuncture. However, proper training in this needling style and an understanding of anatomy sets one practitioner apart from another.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Herbal Therapy

While Brian specializes in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, he also treats a wide range of other problems. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses a comprehensive system of assessment to determine patterns of disharmony. This work can be effective in treating disease of the internal organs including digestive problems, neurological disease, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems, insomnia, anxiety and emotional problems. Chinese medicine can be effective for many of these problems as a form of primary medicine and can also be effective as an adjunct to Western medical treatments.

Acupoint Injection Therapy

Injection of acupuncture points with sterilized herbals, homeopathics or vitamins is used to combine the therapeutic effects from acupuncture and the therapeutic effects of the medicinal injected. Specific acupuncture points are chosen based on their synergistic interaction with the injectable. Acupoint Injection Therapy can be used for the following:

• Trigger point injection (See specifics on this under TrP injection and Dry Needling)
• Vitamin B12 injections for nerve disease or anemia
• Immunity problems (easy catching cold)
• Joint disease and muscle/tendon pathology
• Acute injury
• Repetitive strain injuries