Pickleball anyone?

One of the fastest growing recreational activities, especially among seniors, is Pickleball. This fast paced racquet sport is a great cardio workout and lends itself to all levels of skill. As with all racquet sports, it also lends itself to elbow and shoulder injuries. Commonly seen in my acupuncture office at AZ Spine Disc and Sport are Tennis Elbow and Rotator Cuff Tendinitis. Most sports and recreational injuries respond quickly to acupuncture and our goal is to get you back on the court quickly and without pain!

Let me know if I can help!

Thank you!

The results are in and I've been voted BEST of 2016 in the category of Naturopathic/Homeopathic/Holistic for my Acupuncture practice at AZ Spine Disc and Sport! I am honored to be voted first place after only one year here in this beautiful state. I am more honored to be trusted with the care of so many of you and I look forward to many more years of service to the Ahwatukee community.

Acupuncture Technology

Two of the traditional diagnostic tools used in acupuncture and TCM are the feeling of the pulse and observation of the tongue. While highly reliable in the hands of a master, I've often felt that objectivity is lacking in these methods. Luckily, now there is technology that provides the precision that I have been looking for. And even luckier, I use this tool, the AcuGraph, in my practice! It's quick, it's painless and it's incredible precise in providing diagnostic insight. The AcuGraph picks up imbalances BEFORE they become symptomatic allowing me to decrease down time for many of my (especially endurance) athletes! Check out this very informative video on acupuncture and the AcuGraph.

What is Acupuncture? from Cameron Larsen on Vimeo.

Cupping Therapy

By now everyone is familiar with the telltale circular bruising left behind by cupping therapy. A favorite of elite athletes and sports medicine providers everywhere, there were many sightings of cupping at the latest Olympic Games in Rio. But, what exactly IS cupping and what is it good for?

Cupping is an ancient modality that falls into the scope of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is most effectively combined with Acupuncture. The practice has evolved from the use of bamboo and fire, to the vacuum cupping systems that most practitioners use today.

Cupping involves distracting, or vacuuming, the skin up into the cups and either retaining the cups from 5-15 minutes, or gliding the cups along the surface. Cupping can increase circulation, decrease adhesions and promote lymph drainage. In TCM we use Cupping to move the Qi and remove stagnation (anywhere there is pain, there is stagnation). Often Cupping is performed after or during an acupuncture session, but it can also be a stand alone therapy.

Cupping is  wonderful for most musculoskeletal complaints. I routinely use cupping for back pain, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, runners knee, frozen shoulder, piriformis syndrome and sciatica, but it is also very effective with respiratory conditions like bronchitis.

Treating Superman!

A few weeks ago I was invited to Durango, Co to be a part of the Sports Medicine Team at the Fiesta Days Rodeo. This was another on the Grand Canyon Pro Rodeo circuit. As an old timer Athletic Trainer, I'm rarely surprised by anything anymore and have learned to roll with almost any situation that emerges. When Superman needed work on his shoulder, I did a double take for sure! This Superman is a bullfighter, one of the brave/crazy souls who jump in between a dumped cowboy and the ten ton bull who is sizing him up for an unpleasant meeting! A hand to the head, a sharp yell and a bright red cape, all combined with the feet of a dancer and another bull is distracted...another cowboy escapes! Another day in the life of a Superman.

Flying Samaritans Phoenix

Volunteers from Flying Samaritans

Flying Samaritans clinic.

I just returned from a weekend in Mexico, with the Flying Samaritans Phoenix chapter. This is a volunteer only group of healthcare providers, interpreters, and pilots who travel one weekend a month to the Baja Sur California region in Mexico to provide healthcare to an underserved area.
I flew with the very capable Philip in the largest of the planes going. 6 mostly long timers joined me on the flight. We got off to a late start out of Carefree due to a plane repair and when we finally left at 2pm it was HOT! Let's just say the heat and the bumpy trip out of AZ did not agree with me, but I couldn't have been with a better group of companions. Once I got my airlegs under me, all went well. Shout out to Reliefband, who donated a motion sickness device for me to try. I think it helped.
First stop was to land and clear customs in Mexico, then back in the air to Mulege, Mexico to land at our hotel. Pretty cool to actually land your plane at a hotel!
Saturday morning we all returned to our planes to fly the 45 mins over the Sea of Cortez and Pacific to the clinic. Smooth ride! There was already a large contingent of patients patiently waiting for treatment. Some of the services provided: dental, medical, pharmacy, optometry and chiropractic/acupuncture/PT.
To be honest, I saw none of these. I went straight to the chiropractic room and got to work as the only practitioner there for physical medicine.
I started treating around 9am, took a breath around noon to eat (a delicious meal being prepared right outside this window) finished my last patient around 3pm.

My treatment room came with a view and natural AC

I was told I saw 50 patients, although I really have no idea. I had 2 tables filled at all times and used a combination of acupuncture, laser acupuncture, mobilization techniques and stretching. Shout out to a company called Meridia, who donated a set of Qi lasers for me to take on this trip. They gave me the ability to treat acupuncture points quickly and cleanly.
The biggest challenge did not turn out to be the language barrier (my spanish was passible and several interpreters helped me out), but the fact that everyone was dressed in long sleeves and jeans! Two favorite patients: a young boy who burst into tears just from me looking at him, but left with a big happy grin (turns out he was terrified the laser was fire) and a little girl who announced "my name is..." in perfect English and floored us all. She left with a pen to practice her writing (which was also perfect). I was told later, by an interpreter, that I had received enthusiastic reviews by the patients.
I left with the feeling that often accompanies the act of caring for others, that you can indeed make a difference...and indeed you should.

Sensei...or Grasshopper?

So what, if anything, did I learn from my time in India?

1. Puppies don't discriminate...we are all just playthings! RIP Angel.
2. Cats do discriminate...feed them and they will tolerate you.
3. People really and truly just want to be heard...even if you don't speak the language.
4. Stopping everything at 11am for Chai...is about a lot more than tea.
5. An elephant blessing is about a lot more than snot in your hair.
6. It's hard to tell the difference between a funeral procession and a temple celebration...both seem like a party.
7. I'm a much better scrabble player than I thought...or am I?
8. I like the big mangos better than the small mangos...or is it the other way around?
9. I am much much older than pre-med students...who don't know who Dr. Quinn is.
10. Sometimes you're the Sensei, sometimes you're the grasshopper. Be prepared for both!
11. One person can indeed make a difference.
12. There is nothing so wonderful as a glass of ice water!
13. There is no place like home.

That's a wrap people. Thanks for reading.