Acupuncture and You: Shoulder Pain Treatment
We often think don’t about our shoulders, as they allow us to move around easily; however, when something actually happens to them and we’re left in pain, we realize how important their function in our body. When we don’t have full flexibility and range of motion we can are unable to do many daily activities of daily living. Thankfully, prevention and acupuncture treatment is the best medicine for those that suffer from shoulder injuries.
Types of Shoulder Pain that Acupuncture Can Treat
There are a number of conditions that acupuncture can treat the shoulder pain. Some of these include:
Shoulder bursitis – a type of inflammation located in the bursa area of the shoulder joint, this primarily affects the sacs of fluid that help your joint become cushioned for specific movements. If you repeatedly move your arm in a rough manner, these sacs prevent and protect. Whether labor induced, or athletics induced, inflammation is what brings the pain to this area.
Rotator cuff tendonitis – Any tendons or muscles in the shoulder that allow for stabilization in the joint is what they consider the rotator cuff. These muscles include the infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, and supraspinatus. Sports or quick, rough movements of the shoulder can cause rotator cuff issues, which will need the best sports medicine care and treatment to rehabilitate.
Shoulder impingement syndrome – this condition is a combination of both rotator cuff tendinitis, as well as shoulder bursitis. The pain degree may be varying, so what one person feels as excruciating, may not be that bad to someone else.
Frozen shoulder – there are three stages of this condition, including stage one being the most painful stage, stage two bring the stage with decreased motion – the “frozen” stage, and the third stage is the thawing, which allows for more range. This “frozen” condition is due to the connective tissues forming a capsule around the tendons, bones, and ligaments.
Shoulder instability – when your tendons or ligaments are over stretched or weakened, this causes shoulder instability.
Shoulder arthritis – when the bones are covered in cartilage, arthritis occurs. While our bodies mean well with the protection, it actually hurts us more than it knows.
Biceps tendinitis – The tendon that connects the shoulder bones to the arm can become inflamed, torn, or irritated, causing a ton of pain and leading to tendinitis in this area.
Labral tear – the labrum absorbs the shock and helps lubricate the joint of the shoulder. When athletes or laborers overuse this area, it can become torn.
A Diagnosis from a Doctor
Your doctor will order either an MRI, CT scan, or onsite x-ray scan, while looking at your history and giving you an exam.
You should never self-diagnose, and should always seek out a medical professional who knows how to perform an imaging test with a medical imaging ai platform before trying acupuncture.
How Does a Doctor Treat Shoulder Pain?
Before trying acupuncture, your doctor may put you on one of the following treatment plans:
- Resting the shoulder and putting ice
- NSAIDS to treat the pain
- Prescription drugs for reducing inflammation
- Physical therapy and stretch activities
- Injections of a steroid
- Joint replacement or other types of surgery
Acupuncture Diagnosis and Evaluation
Like a doctor, your acupuncturist will evaluate the location of pain and learn more about you and your medical history. After these personalized evaluations, treatment can begin by carefully selecting acupuncture points specific to your concern. Treatment results vary depending on duration and severity. We like to see results in 2-3 treatments. Each treatment will include re-assessment and modifications if required.
If you’re in dire need of acupuncture treatment for your pain, please contact Pro Motion Healthcare at 705-315-0111 today.