Naturopathic doctors, or NDs, are becoming more prevalent in sports medicine. All types of athletes are turning to NDs to assist with injury prevention, faster recovery times, nutritional support and performance boost.
If you’ve watched the Rio Games, you’ve most likely seen the dark red circles all over Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps’ body. These dots are signs of “cupping,” an ancient Chinese healing practice that is believed to draw blood from the affected area to reduce soreness and speed healing times.
Cupping involves placing specialized cups on the skin to pull the skin away from the muscles. Athletes who use the technique swear by it, saying that it helps keep them injury free. While scientific studies on the true benefits of cupping are limited, early research does indicate that the healing practice can help with things like chronic neck pain and arthritis.
What athletes like Michael Phelps like about cupping and other naturopathic practices is that they are relatively safe. They don’t involve anything invasive, nor do they require the person to put substances into their bodies. For these reasons, it’s believed that naturopathic practices can be beneficial for treating other conditions outside of sports, including addiction.
Naturopathic Medicine for Addiction Recovery
The River Source is a holistic treatment center that has a naturopathic clinic and on-site NDs. We firmly believe in the power of naturopathic treatments, especially for those who are in early recovery. We do not want to see our patients swap one substance for another, so we urge them to find other ways of healing their bodies.
We also appreciate that naturopathic medicine is holistic and helps our patients address the mind, body, and spirit. The types of naturopathic therapies offered at The River Source are:
- Nutritional IV therapy
- Oral vitamin therapy
- Dry sauna
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
- Physical manipulation
- B12 shots
- Meditation
- Nutritional support
- Light exercise
When naturopathic healing practices are combined with counseling (individual, group, and family) and strong spiritual connections, it’s a foundation for success.
If you would like to learn more about our naturopathic approach toward addiction recovery, please call us today.
