Female Health

Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to help you stay as healthy as possible while optimizing your ability to stay in the game.

We specialize in helping female athletes navigate the unique imbalances that can impede performance, including: 

• Hormonal imbalances
• Biomechanical-related injuries, including those most experienced by female athletes, such as ACL injury, patellar femoral pain syndrome (PFPS), plantar fasciitis, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), and shin splints (See article below.)
• Oxygen use
• Stress
• Motivation

Research Proves Females in Sports Face Critical Health and Performance Issues that Males Don’t!

Scientific research about females in sports is limited. Until recently, most sports physiology research has focused on male athletes.1 However, there is finally solid research regarding the unique, and often debilitating, stressors and injuries navigated by female athletes, including: 

More lower body injuries than males. 

One meta-analysis found that female runners were two-fold more likely to sustain certain running injuries compared to their male counterparts.4 More women experience injuries to the ACL than men, for example. Running has also been linked to 50% higher risk of patella femoral pain syndrome (PFPS), plantar fasciitis, and iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS).3

Major stressors that lead to chronic detriments to health and longevity in sports. 

Chronic stress can lead to a multitude of psychological issues, including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Female athletes are five times more likely to develop an eating disorder compared to male athletes.2 Other stressors, like limited opportunities, lower salaries, lack of visibility, and hypersexualization in the media can contribute to a female’s lack of ability and desire to return to a sport after an injury.2 For example, several studies show a return-to-sports rate among males and females of 45 to 65 percent after regaining normal function post ACL surgery.2 The article states that number is lowest for female athletes. 

Issues related to the female hormonal system. 

Studies are reporting that the female hormonal system may play into reaction time, memory, motivation, joint laxity, and stability, and so much more.1 It’s complex in general and constantly changing, so it’s different for every single woman. Yet, it’s rarely considered in the world of female athletes in regard to performance or the female athlete’s overall health and longevity.

For example, women engaging in extreme sports can create a chronic stress state that can shut down the reproductive hormonal system.1 This can be especially common with exhaustion and limited caloric intake. Chronic stress can cause issues with the menstrual cycle that can lead to fertility issues, short- and long-term effects on bone health, and in younger athletes, abnormalities in puberty.1

Optimal Care for the Female Athlete Requires Understanding the Woman 

AND the Woman as an Athlete!

At ProPoint, we combine this scientific knowledge of how a woman’s body functions with a holistic, eastern medicine approach to maximizing her health and athletic abilities. Based on the science and years of personal experience treating women, we consider female-specific physical attributes, hormonal shifts, and psychological stressors when diagnosing and creating a customized treatment plan. This helps us optimize treatment specifically for female athletes.

More research needs to be completed. However, it’s imperative female athletes seek healthcare professionals who understand the unique landscapes women in sports must navigate. We’re here! And if issues arise that are beyond our scope of practice, we can help you find like-minded healthcare professionals dedicated to nurturing female athletes and keeping them in the game.

References

1 Are Young Women Increasingly Getting Injured in Sports? (2023, July 18). Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Retrieved May 8, 2024 from https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/are-young-women-increasingly-getting-injured-sports

2 Barker, J. (2023, June 15). Female Athletes and Sports Injuries: Psychology Matters. Boston Children’s Hospital. https://answers.childrenshospital.org/female-athletes-sports-injuries-psychology/

3 Gender Differences in Sports Medicine. (2023, April 21). Physiopedia. Retrieved 19:31, May 8, 2024 from https://www.physiopedia.com/index.php?title=Gender_Differences_in_Sports_Medicine&oldid=331291.

4 Xie, P. P., István, B., & Liang, M. (2022). Sex-specific differences in biomechanics among runners: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 13, 994076. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.994076

Copyright © 2023 Amy LeSage, DACM, L.Ac.

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