ACUPUNCTURE LASER • ELECTROACUPUNCTURE • CUPPING • MASSAGES • MOXIBUSTION
Improved Athletic Performance
and Injury Recovery
For Amateurs, Professionals, and Elite Athletes
Michael Phelps, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dave Scott (Ironman), Alex Naddour (USA Gymnast), Natalie Coughlin (USA Swimmer), Vincenzo Nibali (Italian Cyclist)
Traditional Chinese Medicine · Sport
Chinese Medicine in Sport
Integrative support for athletes — recovery, injury prevention and performance optimisation
Context
A True Ally for Athletes
Whether a high-performance athlete or amateur practitioner, the body is constantly subject to intense physical demands — repetitive training, joint impact, muscle wear, oxidative stress and periods of incomplete recovery. Over time, these demands can lead to acute injuries, chronic imbalances, persistent fatigue or performance decline.
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a complementary perspective that goes beyond treating established injuries. Millennia-old acupuncture techniques, combined with innovative therapies such as laser acupuncture, can improve sporting performance, prevent and treat injuries that may occur during the practice of any discipline.
Athletes such as Michael Phelps, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dave Scott (Ironman), Alex Naddour (US Gymnastics), Natalie Coughlin (US Swimmer) and Vincenzo Nibali (Italian Cyclist) have trusted Chinese Medicine techniques to optimise their performance and accelerate recovery.
Clinical Case
Achilles Tendon Tendinitis
Patient
Male athlete, 34 years old
Long-distance runner
Diagnosis
Chronic tendinitis
8 months without resolution
Protocol
Acupuncture + Electroacupuncture
8 sessions · Weekly frequency
Outcome
Return to full training
No recurrence at 6 months
“After 8 months trying to recover without success, in 6 weeks of acupuncture I managed to return to training. I could not believe it was possible so quickly.”
Performance
How Can Chinese Medicine Help?
01
Lactic Metabolism
Acupuncture increases the rate of lactic acid removal from muscles — accumulated during exercise — reducing post-exercise myalgia and accelerating muscular recovery between training sessions.
02
Cardio-Respiratory Function
Studies have demonstrated that aerobic function indicators — VO2 max and Expiratory Volume — are better in athletes receiving acupuncture combined with moxibustion at dorsal points with impact on respiratory and cardiac function.
03
Mental Capacity and Focus
Auricular acupuncture — particularly the Shen Men point — is used for sustained motivation throughout the sporting season and focus at the moment of competition, preventing anxiety from inhibiting performance.
Recovery
Sports Injury Recovery
Clinical experience confirms the various studies and clinical trials supporting the efficacy of acupuncture in treating a range of musculoskeletal injuries commonly associated with intense physical activity.
Injuries Treated
Tendinitis (Achilles · Patellar · Shoulder)
Bursitis
Epicondylitis — Tennis Elbow
Cervical Syndrome
Lower Back Pain
Myalgia — Muscle Pain
Arthralgia — Joint Pain
Neuralgia
Approach
Treated with acupuncture alone or in partnership with conventional sports medicine, these injuries show an excellent therapeutic response in our clinical practice.
Chinese Medicine acts both in the acute phase — reducing inflammation and pain — and in the chronic phase — promoting tissue regeneration and relapse prevention.
In many cases, acupuncture allows a return to sporting activity more quickly than with conventional treatments alone.
Therapeutic Range
Chinese Medicine Techniques Applied to Sport
01
Laser Acupuncture
An innovative technique combining the millennia-old principles of acupuncture with laser technology, enabling deep and painless stimulation of acupuncture points. Particularly effective for acute injuries and sensitive areas.
02
Electroacupuncture
Application of micro-electrical currents through acupuncture needles, enhancing the therapeutic effect. Especially indicated for intense pain, muscle spasm and recovery from deep injuries.
03
Cupping Therapy
A millennia-old technique that applies cups to the skin, creating suction to increase vascularisation and improve muscular and bone nutrition. Widely used by Michael Phelps and Cristiano Ronaldo to accelerate muscular recovery.
04
Tui Na Massage
Chinese therapeutic massage technique working the energy meridians, promoting muscle relaxation, improved circulation and recovery of soft tissue injuries.
05
Moxibustion
Application of heat through the combustion of mugwort (artemisia) over specific acupuncture points, tonifying vital energy, improving circulation and accelerating recovery from chronic injuries.
Innovation
Pioneering Project in Women’s Football
A strategic alliance with Career Manager Ricardo Derriça Pinto, undeniably pioneering in nature given the clear vulnerabilities implicit in national and international women’s football in the area of health and wellbeing.
This project aims to create mechanisms and tools with a special and exclusive focus on the female football player, applying millennia-old Chinese Medicine techniques combined with the most recent sports prevention and recovery methods, with a view to performance optimisation, as well as preventive techniques adjusted to the specific morphological, metabolic and hormonal needs of the female football player, minimising injury risk to the greatest extent possible.
→ Read the article: “Chinese Medicine in Women’s Football”Method
The Five Clinic Approach
At Five Clinic, we understand that every athlete is unique — different disciplines, different physical demands, different injury patterns. That is why every protocol is personalised taking into account the sport practised, competitive level, injury history, sporting goals and the point in the season (pre-season, competition, post-season).
We work with both high-performance athletes and amateur practitioners who want to remain active and healthy. We offer specialist support for performance optimisation, injury prevention and accelerated recovery.
All our specialists hold professional licences certified by ACSS and specialist training in sports medicine. Our clinic is officially registered with the Health Regulatory Authority (ERS) under number 39558/E166752.
Next Step
Optimise Your Performance
The first consultation lasts approximately 45 to 60 minutes and includes a full Chinese Medicine assessment and a personalised therapeutic plan.
Our Brands
About Us
Specialist clinic in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, located in the heart of Lisbon. Since 2012, we have offered personalised treatments with certified professionals.
ERS Registration
No. 39558/E166752
Follow us
Useful Links
Contacts
📍 Address
Avenida Duque de Loulé, 47
3rd Floor, Right
1050-086 Lisbon · Portugal
✉️ Email
[email protected]🌐 Website
www.fiveclinic.pt/enOpening Hours
Monday to Friday:
10:00 — 13:00
14:00 — 19:00
Saturday:
09:00 — 13:00
Newsletter
National & International Associations
📋 Professional Credentials
Company
FIVE CLINIC by FIVEDIRECTIONS
HEALTH & WELLNESS LDA
VAT No.: 513248889
Clinical Director
Dr. Fernando Fernandes
Chinese Medicine Licence: C-006569
Acupuncture Licence: C-0500378
(Issued by ACSS)
ERS Registration: 39558/E166752 | All practitioners hold ACSS professional licences
