Sports Medicine Acupuncture®

Natalia has completed the Sports Medicine Acupuncture Program receiving the SMAC licensure. This Certification was awarded by passing board examinations after an intensive year long specialization studying human cadavers, applied kinesiology, human movement and joint manipulation. There are only 3 practicing Sports Medicine Acupuncturists with these credentials in the state of Illinois. This accreditation is likened to the same as receiving a Doctorate in Sports Medicine Acupuncture.

“Sports Medicine Acupuncture contains both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Sports Medicine diagnostic techniques used to view the patient’s injury from each of these different perspectives. With both the professional and recreational athlete, the goal is to accurately assess the mechanism and severity of the patient’s musculoskeletal complaint.

This is accomplished by using a combination of orthopedic special tests, range of motion, manual muscle testing, and palpation to identify the injured tissue. These techniques used to assess local stagnation are joined with TCM differential diagnosis, providing a paradigm of the athlete’s local injury and overall health (Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang, Shen).

The objective of this combination is to address the athlete’s healing potential thereby strengthening the patient, and as a result, decrease injury rehabilitation time. Getting the athlete back to their desired activity, enhancing performance and preventing re-injury through treatment and education is the goal.” – Matt Callison, President – Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification Program