Sports Acupuncture in Vancouver
For people who take their sport seriously.
Your back is ruining your climbing sessions. Your neck won't turn properly. That ankle sprain is taking longer to settle than you'd like. Or perhaps you've been putting up with tingling in your hand or foot and wondering what to do about it.
You want to keep moving. You'd also quite like your body to cooperate.
I'm Crystal Gilhooly, a Registered Acupuncturist at Elios Health on Main Street in Vancouver. I combine acupuncture with movement assessment and more than 25 years of experience in competitive gymnastics as a coach and judge.
My approach is straightforward: assess the problem, choose an appropriate treatment, and keep checking whether what we're doing is making a difference.
Because getting needled is one thing. Understanding whether the treatment is helping is another.
BOOK A 50-MINUTE SPORTS ACUPUNCTURE APPOINTMENT
50 minutes | $135 | Elios Health, 4132 Main Street, Vancouver
5-star review!!
Crystal is incredible! I suffered chronic shoulder pain from years of softball and walked away pain free after seeing Crystal.
She is kind, empathetic and very knowledgeable! I highly recommend.
What is sports acupuncture?
Sports acupuncture applies acupuncture in the context of physical activity, training demands and the problems that can interfere with an active life.
You don't have to be a professional athlete, compete on weekends or own an alarming quantity of technical clothing.
If pain or a physical limitation is interfering with the things you want to do, a sports-focused approach may be useful.
My practice combines acupuncture with an assessment of how you move and how your symptoms behave.
Treatment may involve traditional acupuncture, electroacupuncture, dry-needling or other appropriate needling approaches, depending on your presentation.
The aim is to make informed treatment decisions based on your individual needs, rather than treating every sore shoulder or troublesome back the same way.
What I commonly help people with:
Low-back pain
Back pain can make everything from picking up a backpack to sitting at a desk or getting through a climbing session unnecessarily complicated.
I'll look at your symptoms in context, including how you stand, squat and move, and assess relevant areas that may contribute to the problem. The goal is to understand the presentation and determine whether acupuncture is an appropriate part of your care.
Neck pain and headaches
A stiff neck or persistent headache can make work, training and everyday life harder than they need to be.
Assessment may include active and passive range of motion and the function of relevant muscles, depending on your symptoms. Headaches and neck pain can have different causes, so identifying warning signs and recognizing when further medical assessment is needed are important parts of appropriate care.
Tingling in the hands or feet
Tingling, numbness and altered sensation deserve more than a guess and a few needles.
These symptoms can arise from different causes, including nerve involvement. I'll consider your history and relevant findings to help determine what kind of assessment or care is appropriate. Some presentations require medical investigation or referral rather than acupuncture alone.
Ankle sprains
An ankle sprain can be frustrating when you're keen to get back to hiking, running, climbing or simply moving confidently.
Your symptoms, mobility and function all matter when deciding what to do next. Acupuncture may be one component of care in selected cases, alongside appropriate rehabilitation and progressive loading.
Not sure whether your problem is a good fit?
I test. I treat. I test again.
One thing that distinguishes my approach is that assessment doesn't stop once treatment begins.
1. We look at how you move
I'll ask about your symptoms, your activities and what you're trying to get back to. Depending on the problem, I may assess how you squat and stand, test muscle function using active muscle testing, and check active and passive range of motion.
And no, I don't only look at the bit that hurts.
I'll assess relevant areas that may contribute to your symptoms, because the place you feel pain isn't necessarily the only place worth investigating.
2. We choose an appropriate treatment
Based on your presentation, we can discuss whether acupuncture is suitable and which approach makes sense. Depending on the situation, this may include traditional acupuncture or electroacupuncture.
I'll explain the proposed treatment, discuss relevant risks and alternatives, and obtain your consent before proceeding.
3. We check whether anything has changed
This is the part I particularly value.
I re-test relevant findings as we work through treatment. That might mean checking range of motion, repeating a movement or reassessing a muscle function test.
If something changes, that's useful information. If it doesn't, that's useful information too.
A change during a session doesn't guarantee lasting improvement, and not every problem responds immediately. But repeatedly checking your response helps inform the next clinical decision instead of relying entirely on assumptions.
An active approach to getting better
I'm a good fit for people who want to participate in their care.
That means being willing to look at the factors contributing to a problem, ask questions, and follow through with prescribed exercises when they're appropriate. Acupuncture can be part of a treatment plan, but it isn't a substitute for every other part of recovery.
Some assessments and treatments can be uncomfortable. I'll explain what to expect, respect your limits and work within your consent. You don't need to prove your toughness by enduring unnecessary pain.
The aim is thoughtful care, realistic expectations and a plan that makes sense for your situation.
Why work with me?
I've spent more than 25 years involved in competitive gymnastics as a coach and judge. That experience has given me a long view of athletic movement, training demands and the realities of working with active bodies.
Outside the clinic, I've also put hundreds of kilometres under my boots backpacking in the Canadian Southwest. I understand the appeal of a long day on the trail, the satisfaction of a hard-earned objective and the frustration when a physical problem gets in the way.
As a Registered Acupuncturist, I bring that perspective into my clinical practice. I want to understand what you're asking your body to do, assess the problem carefully and make treatment decisions based on what I find.
You don't need to be a competitive athlete to appreciate that approach. You just need something you'd like to get back to doing.
Book sports acupuncture at Elios Health
Elios Health is located at 4132 Main Street in Vancouver. If you're dealing with low-back pain, neck pain, headaches, tingling in a hand or foot, an ankle sprain or another problem affecting your activities, an appointment is an opportunity to discuss your symptoms and whether acupuncture is appropriate.
Crystal Gilhooly, Registered Acupuncturist
50-minute appointment: $135
Elios Health
4132 Main Street, Vancouver, BC