What do acupuncturists do? Sports acupuncture might be what you’ve been missing!

Step into any alpine basecamp, bouldering sesh, or finish-line and you’ll hear the same things: “My hip’s been off lately.” “My shoulder still nags on the second go.” “I can’t quite get my foot up like I used to.”

The truth is, athletes rarely feel broken. They feel off. And that’s exactly where acupuncture fits in.

So what do acupuncturists do? At Elios Health in Vancouver, Crystal Gilhooly offers a version of acupuncture you won’t find in a spa brochure. It’s clinical, functional, and rooted in the biomechanics of people who move hard. With a background in gymnastics, outdoor adventure, and a deep respect for the physical toll that climbing, skiing, running, and daily life can take, Crystal practices sports acupuncture with intent: to reduce pain, restore function, and accelerate healing when rest alone doesn’t cut it.

Beyond the Myths: What Do Acupuncturists Really Do?

Forget what you think you know. Acupuncture isn’t just incense and vibes. At its best, it’s targeted, science-informed medicine. Licensed acupuncturists like Crystal use fine, sterile needles to influence muscle behaviour, stimulate blood flow, and modulate the nervous system. In sports acupuncture, those techniques are applied with performance in mind.

We target trigger points. We calm inflamed tissues. We access deep stabilizing structures most manual therapy can’t reach. And maybe most importantly—we bring you back into your body in a way that passive recovery never can.

So, what do acupuncturists do at Elios Health? They listen. They palpate. They observe the way you move and the way your body compensates. And then they treat—often blending acupuncture with cupping, soft tissue work, breath awareness, or movement education to get the most out of each session.

What Is Sports Acupuncture?

Sports acupuncture is a clinical approach to acupuncture focused on injury prevention, recovery, and athletic performance. It blends classical theory with modern anatomy, making it especially effective for climbers with shoulder issues, trail runners with knee pain, cyclists with tight hips, or anyone caught in the gray zone between functional and fragile.

Where standard acupuncture might treat energy flow, sports acupuncture tracks biomechanics: What’s overworking? What’s under-recruiting? What pattern keeps repeating in your injuries?

Crystal’s approach to sports acupuncture is rooted in her years spent moving, coaching, and climbing. She’s worked with everyone from weekend warriors to competitive athletes, helping them return to sport faster, stronger, and more aware.

Whether you’ve got a nagging elbow, a chronically tight low back, or a foot that keeps flaring up mid-approach, sports acupuncture can help. It’s not a magic fix, but it is a powerful tool in the hands of a practitioner who understands the body in motion.

Why Crystal Gilhooly?

There are plenty of acupuncturists in Vancouver. But not many who’ve taped a sprained ankle on site or treated a rotator cuff the night before a big send. Crystal brings both clinical precision and real-world experience to her treatments. She understands the pace, the stress, and the stakes of staying active, not just from textbooks, but from lived experience.

At Elios Health, she works closely with a collaborative team of physiotherapists, massage therapists, and kinesiologists. That means your care doesn’t exist in a silo. If your treatment calls for strength work, movement re-patterning, or hands-on rehab, you’ll have access to a team that speaks the same language and shares the same goals.

Is it just for athletes?

Not at all. While sports acupuncture is especially effective for active individuals, its benefits extend far beyond training. Crystal also treats headaches, jaw pain, sleep issues, stress, and hormonal imbalances—many of which are closely tied to physical tension and nervous system dysregulation.

At its core, acupuncture helps restore balance. That might mean finally quieting the buzzing nerve in your hip. Or it might mean learning how to breathe again before your next redpoint attempt.

So… what do acupuncturists do?
They listen. They observe. They use fine needles and deep knowledge to unlock stuck patterns and restore your ability to move—without guarding, bracing, or second-guessing.

And when you’re working with Crystal at Elios Health, you’re not just getting acupuncture. You’re getting a partner in your recovery. One who understands that movement is more than medicine, it’s your life.