Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain

What to expect from an acupuncture treatment for shoulder pain in Morden...

Shoulders are complex joints, and often get injured or strained, sometimes even from something unexpected like sleeping in an awkward position one night. Overuse or poor posture can contribute to mild shoulder pain as well, as can age-related degeneration. A mild case of shoulder pain might lead to a bit of discomfort for a couple of weeks, or it could be months of pain and restriction from an injury or a fall.

Shoulder problems can be complex and take time to recover because there are quite a few muscles and tendons that work together to ensure the shoulder is moving correctly. If you’ve been to your GP, suggested treatment usually involves painkillers, physio, steroid injections, or in extreme cases, surgery.

So what can acupuncture do for shoulder pain?

From an acupuncture point of view, the basis of the issue is quite simple in a way - most any painful condition within TCM is considered to be an obstruction of Qi and/or Blood, and there are several major channels that pass through the shoulder area which can be in play, depending on the location and nature of the pain.

Because the view is that the obstruction is causing pain (and this can be physical and/or energetic), the treatment principle is basically to restore proper flow in the channels or Meridians, and then the shoulder is able to recover naturally.

From a biomedical point of view, we do know that acupuncture has the ability to stimulate your own natural pain-killing hormones, and can help reduce inflammation and release muscle tension and increase circulation, and all these have an impact on shoulder pain.

At the end of the day, a combined approach often works best, typically acupuncture and some kind of physical therapy.

What happens during an acupuncture treatment for shoulder pain?

When you come in for your first treatment, we’ll do an initial assessment that covers your main symptoms as well as medical history, lifestyle - I’ll also do some physical checks of the shoulder itself to check for painful spots and mobility, and also do some pulse and tongue diagnosis to determine the underlying TCM pattern, which is also important so your overall health is addressed as well.

By identifying which channels need treatment and which pattern or combination of patterns is present, I can then tailor your acupuncture treatment to your particular case. A typical treatment would probably use needles at key points in the shoulder, arm and neck (depending on what we find as part of the physical exam), and potentially also points in the legs and ankles. This might seem strange if your pain is in your shoulder, but these are known as “distal” points, and connect to the shoulder via the network of channels. As I use a number of different tools, I might also use other tools or techniques like cupping, moxa or gentle stretching in combination with acupuncture needles.

The treatment itself usually lasts 20 - 30 mins while you relax on the table, and I’ll check on you periodically to see how you’re doing and maybe make some adjustments. Most people feel pretty relaxed during treatment, and depending on how your body reacts you might feel immediate pain relief in the first session, but sometimes it takes a while to notice a change, especially if your pain is especially chronic, but you will see gradual improvement over several sessions.

How many treatments you’ll need depends on a number of factors - how long you’ve had the problem, the severity of it, and self-care as part of the overall approach. Everyone responds differently, but we’ll map out a treatment plan for you during your first session so you can understand how many treatments you might need, and also if you need to come more frequently for treatment in the first week or two.

In the meantime, things you can do yourself are:

Rest and gentle movement - find that sweet spot where you’re gently exercising and moving the joint well within your limits to encourage better circulation of Qi and Blood, but also ensuring that you’re giving yourself adequate time to rest and recover, so no trying to push through the pain or go to the gym etc even though it’s painful!

Apply warmth - this is assuming you’ve not injured your shoulder in the last few days and it is still inflamed or swollen, (in which case limited use of ice and rest is best), but using a heat pad or something like that to gently warm the area will again help with circulation of Qi and Blood.

Manage stress - our stress response contributes hugely to muscle tension and generally reducing our ability to function at optimum levels…easier said than done I know, but your go to methods of stress relief should help prevent further tension which might aggravate your shoulder.

Now, I understand that someone sticking needles into you might be a daunting idea, but if you need to chat through any aspect of treatment or want to find out more, then just get in touch, or even come in for a free consultation/chat about your symptoms and we can see how I can help!

To contact me, phone 0208 051 7743 or email info@empoweracupuncture.co.uk

Alternatively, if you’re ready to take the plunge and get your shoulder pain sorted out, you can book online using the button below:

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