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Leap of Faith: Acupuncture rescues OSU's James Allen
Thursday, December 28, 2000
By Rachel Bachman of The Oregonian staff
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Many Oregon State players took arduous routes to reach the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, but only one made himself into a cactus.
Last spring, linebacker James Allen began suffering from back pain. Conventional treatments failed, X-rays were inconclusive and the pain got worse. By summer, the Beavers' third-best defensive player of 1999 could barely run.
He summoned the strength to suit up for Oregon State's first fall practice but was accidentally knocked down from behind. He left the field, his back in excruciating pain.
"I thought I wasn't going to play anymore," said the former Jefferson High School player.
He sat out most of fall practice, his usually bright face turning glum. His appetite waned. He imagined that others looked at him scornfully, assuming he wanted to dodge grueling two-a-day practices. There was no evidence of his injury other than his pain.
"I had never sat out a game," Allen said. "I'd never been hurt, never been injured, never broke a bone. It wasn't like I broke my leg or something. It wasn't like I tore my ACL or had a muscle problem."
It was a mystery. Allen sat out the season's first two games, and he and his coaches were stumped. It looked as if an important part of the Beavers' strength -- its speedy offense -- would not retake the field.
Then Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson had an idea. A relative of his had gotten results with acupuncture. He suggested Allen try it.
Acupuncture entails the insertion of needles and the application of heat or electrical stimulation a precise points on the body. The idea is to clear paths for energy to flow through the body so it may, in essence, heal itself.
"I'm not going to lie; I was kind of nervous about it the first time," Allen said. But Allen's acupuncturist assured him he would not be lying on a bed of nails or falling under a hocus-pocus spell.
"It was nothing like that," Allen said. "It was the most relaxing experience I ever had."
And after all the doctors and ice packs and wraps, acupuncture was the thing that worked -- and after just a few weeks. Four games into the season, against USC, Allen returned to the field. He has played ever since.
In the Beavers' 33-9 victory over Arizona, Allen made three consecutive tackles -- including a sack -- to single-handedly stop a Wildcats drive.
He made 33 tackles in nine regular-season games and reclaimed his starting spot midway through the season, against UCLA.
When the Beavers' selection to the Fiesta Bowl was announced, Allen jumped higher, hugged more teammates and came closer to tears than any other player. He owed it all to acupuncture.
"I thanked everybody," Allen said. "I thanked the acupuncturist, my trainers for referring me to him, coach Erickson. I'm just thankful to everybody."
Allen's medical problems are not solved, however. X-rays revealed a bone spur in Allen's right hip, but doctors had not determined whether the hip was causing the spasms in Allen's back.
"In the off-season, we'll study it more, I guess," said Allen, a junior. "See what's causing the pain so we can fix it for good. And if not, just continue with the acupuncture. Basically, what I know right now is, the only way to treat this is with treatment. I'm not going to go into surgery and cut something when you don't know what's causing the pain."
So Allen will cap his comeback season, the one he had counted out, with a start in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. All it took was a lot of hard work, a few needles and a leap of faith.
You can reach Rachel Bachman at 503-221-4373 or by e-mail at rachelbachman@news.oregonian.com
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