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“Look, at the end of the day, it’s a business.”

It’s a quote we’ve heard time and time again, usually when players are traded or sign free agent deals in new cities. I often wonder, however, how such a canned response would sound when delivered many years after the player’s career has ended, when he’s struggling to deal with the residual effects of long-term physical neglect and misappropriation of healthcare protocols.

We’ve seen everything from players struggling to maintain health after retirement (and the resultant, still unsettled scandal in the NFL), to young players like the San Francisco 49ers’ Chris Borland walk away from the game at age 24 because of concerns over his long-term safety.

Bottom line, professional sports is a business, but that doesn’t mean the industry’s current sports medicine model makes for good business.

A good business crunches numbers and maximizes output, while also tending to the humanitarian needs of its employees. Sports owners are neither saints nor sinners (some are both, even), but they do seem to lack vision when it comes to their latent responsibility for the health of their employees. And, let’s not be naive, professional athletes represent investments by teams, and those teams seek a healthy return, both literally and economically.

In a perfect world, if teams could guarantee both a higher rate of player production and greater durability, they would all sign on in a nanosecond. Not because of ownership’s inherent altruism, of course (if such a thing exists); we all know that greed plays a role in all business, not just sports. But without a fully formed sports medicine model, teams are truly lost in the wilderness when we speak of protecting their players’ best interests.

It is time for the business of Sports to realize the future of Sports Medicine; A fully integrated system utilizing both Western and Eastern medicines will not only increase player productivity and be more cost effective, but it will bring some humanity back into a business that has lost some soul.

I have been practicing Eastern medicine for over 15 years. I have worked with professional athletes, and know what is expected from them and those entrusted with their medical well-being. I have also dedicated much of my career to maximizing the physical potential of those suffering from the most severe physical detriments — those paralyzed by a spinal cord injury. And I know from experience that when dealing with a physiological system functioning at sub-optimal levels, it is imperative to figure out how to maximize nerve innervation, circulation and mechanical output to foster legitimate rehabilitation from primary and secondary injuries.

To that end, I helped develop a program that seamlessly integrates Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga, Chiropractic, and other specialized training into a unified approach to promotes physical enhancement — including the implementation of stem cells for rehabilitative efforts. The program is specifically designed to prepare the body for stem cell injections before they begin to repair injuries and promote optimal function.

Putting my program into practice, I always collaborated with teams of Western doctors in order to navigate the total healthcare process. I know firsthand that a marriage of two medical approaches can work.

Not only does it work, actually, it thrives.

It is simply a matter of proper implementation and respect for each approach. In a time when many athletes are turning to alternative means to ensure their health, optimal recovery, and performance enhancement, teams would be wise to create a comprehensive umbrella that integrates the best that science has to offer, and maintains a realistic economic bottom line for the provider.

As an athlete myself, I have always challenged my body to accomplish the unthinkable. I marvel at any athlete performing at the top of their game. We all want the same thing — to witness greatness. The questions are, at what cost, and are there things we can and should be exploring to achieve far better results with far more inclusive methods of patient care?

Historically, in an effort to squeeze every last drop of value out of a player, teams have shown a willingness to do whatever is necessary to keep their investments in peak form and, hopefully, on the field. The concept is solid, but the means to the end straddle the line between ignorance and abuse.

The reality is that when the means for keeping players on the field in peak form are rooted in overriding function, critical care, and invasive intervention, players’ bodies will inevitably fail. In essence, just because a bandaid stops the proverbial bleeding, doesn’t mean the wound has healed enough to withstand further strain — especially the strain induced at the professional level.

We all know professional athletes are driven to the absolute limits of their physical potential — that comes with the territory — but the situation would be less risky if the professional sports world availed itself of the full spectrum of healthcare — including alternative therapies and Eastern medicine — in its never-ending quest to maximize return on player investment.

Unfortunately, however, Western medicine rules the day, and, as a result, sports medicine suffers a critical gap between its current performance enhancement and rehabilitative efforts.

If teams truly want to maximize player production and minimize costs, it is time for them to consider redefining how they approach the health and well-being of their players. The time has come to acknowledge that the current sports medicine model is antiquated, dangerous, and highly inefficient at maximizing player productivity.

Simply put, the current, traditional medical system in pro sports lacks the full-spectrum approach that is required to seamlessly address each and every aspect of players’ health needs. Instead, for teams to create an environment that fosters peak physical production by players, all aspects of their well-being should be addressed.

This includes five key components:

1. Strength and conditioning optimization (athletic enhancement)
2. Injury prevention
3. Injury care
4. Rehabilitation
5. Mental and emotional acuity

Chinese medicine, which takes a more holistic view of a person’s physical and mental condition, is the perfect complement to the today’s overwhelming standard of Western sports medicine practice. An integrated system, utilizing both philosophies, working in tandem, represents an ideal approach for sports medicine today.

Contrary to common misconception, the two approaches are not disparate, and can work together towards the same goals: the optimization of physical capability, the enhancement of on-field performance, and the rehabilitation from injury as quickly as possible without compromising long-term health or future potential.

Chinese medicine embodies a complete approach that has served warriors and athletes well for thousands of years. It is built upon promoting optimal function, repairing injury, and fostering the most efficient recovery possible. When combined with advancements in today’s technology and Western medicine, we have the ability to offer our athletes the most advanced, comprehensive, and effective approach for maximizing athletic output.

Western Medicine is designed primarily to tend to critical care situations; to override physiology, stabilize pathology and ensure that our bodies continue to perform their necessary functions. It is not, however, designed to promote the reintegration and independence of our body’s normal physiology. This is acceptable over the short-term, but once a condition has been stabilized via surgery, pharmaceuticals or other procedures, it becomes critical to stimulate the body’s very real internal ability to heal and regain optimal function.

The all-too-familiar pain-reduction model in sports medicine today does the exact opposite, throwing drugs at injured players to mollify their condition. Just ask former NFL lineman Mark Schlereth what he was given to ensure he played through injuries and pain. The battle stories are many and they are ugly, but instead of wasting time getting upset, we should be looking for a way to improve the current model.

It is not the fault of Western medicine that it is being abused in professional sports. It is the only show in town; one equipped with a far too narrow spectrum of tools for tending to all of the necessary components of an athlete’s care. Once an injury or condition is stabilized with Western medicine, there remains a gaping hole when in relation to what comes next: How to optimize recovery time, reestablish proper function, maximize gains, and prevent setbacks.

To this point, no professional team has taken a leap to establish a fully comprehensive and integrative approach to address their players’ performance needs. We needn’t fully abandon the current approach but we do need to explore how to fill in the gaps, beef up existing protocols, and allow dual approaches to be deployed.

Creating an integrated East-meets-West approach to maximizing athletic output is the future of professional sports medicine. The leagues, teams and players just don’t know it yet.

Currently, teams’ efforts in the advancement of strength and conditioning of their players has been aimed at streamlining training protocols, pushing the limits of supplement allowance, and taking advantage of cutting-edge surgical techniques. An increased focus on sports nutrition has also evolved in recent years as a means to fill in gaps, aid in the prevention of injuries, and optimize recovery time.

And while there has been growing interest and a (slow) movement towards implementation of alternative therapies, no organization has thus far considered a full-scale integration.

That is not to say professional teams are not beginning to piece together some extremely worthwhile approaches to fill in those gaps. They have begun employing platelet rich plasma therapy to promote more efficient post-injury and surgery healing. Players have been seeking out stem cell therapy to boost recovery efforts as well. These are great additions to the medical approach for performance enhancement and rehabilitation optimization.

The question is, can Chinese medicine further enhance these approaches and improve their efficacy, while unifying all aspects of the care. The answer, quite simply … is yes.

So what, exactly, does the full scope of Chinese medicine include?

Chinese medicine consists of Acupuncture, herbal medicine, Massage, Nutrition, Qi Gong/martial arts, and lifestyle habits. Each component of this ancient medicine has been an integral part of an overall comprehensive approach towards encouraging a thriving and healthy population.

The Eastern system was built from the ground up; each component seamlessly and synergistically connected to one another. Because the Western medical approach is rooted in critical care intervention, it is built from the top-down, and as such, there is no natural progression of care to follow.

Even now, when attempts are made at incorporating more natural rehabilitation therapies (including nutrition, massage, acupuncture, meditation, etc.), they are implemented in a piecemeal manner, isolated from their intended and comprehensive approach.

The most critical aspects of performance optimization are the base components of nutrition and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. When we fall out of balance, and function is lost, we lose the foundation from which we thrive.

Eastern medicine offers treatments aimed at fixing those issues and restoring optimal function. And when function completely breaks down or situations turn critical, the practice is able to stabilize conditions and work side by side with more invasive approaches in order to minimize injury, optimize rehabilitation, and help restore a world-class caliber athlete’s performance to pre-injury levels.

It is ok, even optimal, for a healthcare team to be comprised of many different specialists. However, in order to maximize benefits for a patient, there needs to be a unifying system that not only allows for each approach, but also integrates the therapies so that they can work in harmony.

It is time to fuse today’s medicine (Western ) with the wisdom and techniques of its battle-tested and ancient medical counterpart (Eastern). It is time to blaze a new trail towards maximizing athletic enhancement and productivity.

With the crackdown in use of performance enhancing drugs, the lines for maximizing human athletic performance have been drawn. In order to stay on the cutting edge, we need to work within a structure that allows for maximum healing and enhancement. Instead of looking for pieces to add to the puzzle, we must change the paradigm, and create a comprehensive template to improve players’ health and promote optimal performance.

There is an answer that can work within the current system, an answer that may inject some humanity back into the business-first sports industry. It is time for a new paradigm in sports medicine — one that not only maximizes on-field production, but also ensures the long-term health of every player.