Unified Practice

After 25 years of hard work and research, Matt Callison, L.Ac, owner of AcuSport Education, has released his long-awaited textbook Sports Medicine Acupuncture: An Integrated Approach Combining Sports Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

You’re probably already familiar with Callison’s motor point reference guides within Unified Practice’s reference library but in his new textbook — just released last month — practitioners will have a massive index of sports and orthopedic injuries, advanced needle techniques, therapeutic exercise recommendations, and herbal medicine treatments. 

In an interview with Unified Practice, Callison told us more about his new book, how it feels to have it completed, and what’s next for him professionally.

We know you from the Motor Points and Acupuncture Meridians Chart and Motor Point Index Reference Guide, but talk broadly about what’s being covered in this new textbook? 

This book is a 1,085-plus page acupuncture textbook containing detailed information on over 93 sports and orthopedic injuries. There is no other English-language acupuncture book with the breadth and depth of information presented in this text. For each injury, there is a detailed description along with an integrated assessment and treatment strategies that draw from both sports medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. This text has indispensable clinical information, including innovative advanced needle techniques, therapeutic exercise recommendations, and herbal medicine treatments. It also has over 780 detailed drawings and photos to help make the material more accessible to the reader. In addition, there are numerous charts, tables, and boxes that organize the information for easy reference. I hope that acupuncturists see this text as a contribution to the field!

What can TCM practitioners gain from this book, regardless of their specialization?

Musculoskeletal pain is a primary complaint by patients seeking help from a TCM practitioner. This book provides many assessments and treatment techniques that are viewed through the lens of TCM theory. The voice of the book is written by a TCM practitioner for the TCM practitioner.

As you’ve said, you’ve been working on this book for 25 years. Talk about the kind of

research that went into this textbook and how advancements in technology changed or aided you in the development process?

There is plenty of research that has contributed to this book to back up theories and ideas but the main focus of this book is the effective clinical pearls based on the author’s clinical experience.

How does it feel to have it completed and in the hands of practitioners after all these years?

It feels great but with a book that has been incubating for such a long time — since its birth it has taken on a life of its own. It’s a big book — 10.25 pounds. The going joke is that it is a book that can cause injury by falling on your foot or creating tendinosis from carrying it around so much but is also the book that can advise the reader on how to assess and treat the injury.

 What’s next for you — do you have upcoming projects or texts you’re working on?

I’ll be updating the Motor Points and Acupuncture Meridians Chart and also the Motor Point Index. I plan to keep evolving the Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification Program and continue to be excited about the medicine.

To order your copy of Sports Medicine Acupuncture: An Integrated Approach Combining Sports Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, check out SMAtextbook.com. You can also check out an exclusive excerpt from the textbook here.