• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Robert Keller, L.Ac.

Classical Chinese Medicine

  • Chinese Medicine
  • Acupuncture
  • Herbology
  • Dietary Therapy
  • Trigger Point Dry Needling
  • Articles
  • About
  • Contact
  • Herbal Pharmacy
You are here: Home / Fundamental Principles / Three Important Rules For Injury

Three Important Rules For Injury

April 23, 2020 in Filed Under: Fundamental Principles, Injury by Robert Keller

I am endlessly fascinated by the similarity of response people have to a given situation. Psychologically, we may each show up in our own unique way. But in terms of the end result, I observe the same patterns take place day after day in my practice. This is a very brief article about acute injuries – neck pain, back pain, tendonitis, fractures, sprains and strains, black and blue marks, pulled muscles, etc. Specifically, it is an observation of how people generally respond to injures, and some basic guidelines in Chinese medicine for dealing with them.

There are three mistakes I see on a daily basis. Observation of the following three rules will insure a more rapid and complete recovery from injury, be it acute or chronic:

• Do not ice. Icing is almost never the correct thing to do from a Chinese perspective, despite the fact that it is always the first thing to do from a Western perspective. Ice causes circulation to literally freeze. Although this may feel good in the short term, the long term consequence is diminished capacity for healing. Pain always arises from blockage, and ice always causes blockage. Acupuncture, internal herbs, and topical applications can reduce swelling and pain without causing impediment to circulation and healing.
• If it hurts, don’t do it. No pain no gain is a cute concept, but it has no place in the treatment of pain and injuries for the majority of the people. It is generally our ego which gets hurt more than our bodies, and we respond with great willfulness to keep on going. However, this is generally wasted energy. Rehabilitation, stretching, and strength training all have their places, but typically they come a little further down the line. Blockages need to be resolved before any of these can happen successfully. In a practical sense, in addition to proper treatment, this means rest and more rest. Pain is a biological mechanism which keeps us from doing things which injure us even further. Yet, I find that getting people to stop doing things which aggravate their condition is one of the hardest things to accomplish, second only getting them to make dietary changes.
• When you think you’re ready, wait two more weeks. The second people feel better, they are right back to it. With acupuncture, reduction of symptoms can sometimes be immediate. But pain can resolve long before the tissue is healed. What is so important that it can’t wait? Sometimes pain is there exactly for the purpose of making us slow down and look. When we do not do this willingly, we are sometimes forced to do it. In the end, there is no shortcut. Proper self care early on will almost always lead to a quicker recovery. Forcing the process will generally cause it to drag out.

Primary Sidebar

Stay in Touch

Be notified of new articles and specials

Browse by Topic

  • Acupuncture
  • Causes of Disease
  • Chinese Medicine
  • Cosmology
  • Dietary Therapy
  • Dry Needling
  • Fundamental Principles
  • Herbology
  • Illness
  • Injury
  • Intuition
  • Organs and Elements
  • Pain Management
  • Philosophy
  • Physiology

Recent Articles

  • Chinese Medicine as Supportive Therapy
  • Most People have a Compromised Digestive System
  • The Chinese Medical Concept of Contraindications 
  • A Few Quick Facts about the Spleen in Chinese Medicine
  • Why Even Healthy Foods Aren’t Healthy for Everyone
  • Pungent Flavor and the Lungs in Chinese Medicine
  • White Ox – Chinese Herbal Formula for Balancing the Lungs
  • Chinese Herbal Medicine for Highly Sensitive People
  • Considerations in the Treatment of Long COVID for Adults and Children using Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
  • The Treatment of Perimenopausal Anxiety with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Footer

Location

851 Route 73 North, Suite G
Marlton, NJ 08053
856-751-3444

Follow on Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Browse

About
Blog
Contact

Stay in Touch

Subscribe to my newsletter and get notified of new articles and posts.

Copyright © 2023 · Robert Keller, L.AC. | Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine serving Cherry Hill, Marlton, Haddonfield, Medford, Moorestown, Mt. Laurel and Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey.
All information, images and art are property of or licensed by Robert Keller and may not be copied or reproduced without permission.