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Acupuncture
Five Reasons to Get Acupuncture for Allergies
Allergies, seasonal or otherwise, is one of the biggest health issues people deal with in the United States. And the numbers are rising every year. Part of this is because our agricultural practices have changed drastically in the past 40 years and our bodies are not accustomed to dealing with genetically modified foods or the excessive amounts of pesticides now being put in and on our food. We are also being over-medicated with antibiotics used in livestock we eat and that we are prescribed by our own doctors. This has created superbugs like MRSA that no longer responding to antibiotics. Our immune systems just can’t keep up. So every year, the number of people experiencing allergies is increasing. continue reading
Five Acupuncture Points for Spring
Spring is the season of growth, regeneration, increased activity and new beginnings. During the season of spring, people experience many changes. Allergies, high blood pressure, headaches, sinus pain and congestion, anger, irritation and tendon problems are just some of the issues common to the spring months. Many of these problems can be attributed to increased wind in the environment. And while there is nothing that can be done about external wind, internal wind can be addressed and diminished using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the many modalities it incorporates. continue reading
Mental/Emotional Aspects of The Heart
The major responsibility of the heart in TCM is housing the mind and controlling the shen. “Shen” can be seen as the overall healthiness of the mind. When you look at a healthy person in good spirits, you know how you can see that in their eyes? There is a certain bright clarity and sense of health that shines from within. We acupuncturists would say that this person has good shen. continue reading
Physical Aspects of The Heart
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is the organ most closely linked to emotion. Think about all the terms we use every day to describe our state of mind: “heartsick,” “heartbroken,” “heartache” The heart is not the director of subtlety; the emotions it encompasses seem to always be on the far end of the spectrum, either extreme sadness or extreme joy. continue reading
Common sports shoulder injury. Simple solution!
A common shoulder injury that I see with rugby players, water polo goalies, MLB baseball pitchers and yogis is pain in the shoulder that can present as deltoid pain. The deltoid is not the problem.
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ACUTE TRAUMA OR OVERUSE CAN CAUSE THIS TYPE OF SHOULDER PAIN photo credit: Pink Shorts Photography, shared with permission |
Usually the pain occurs in certain positions, is difficult to pinpoint and will come and go.
There is a small space between the humeral head (the arm bone) and the acromio-clavicular joint (top of the shoulder). If there is inflammation in that space, there will be pain.
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SHOULDER PAIN IN CERTAIN POSITIONS |
Orthopedic evaluation will show that the problem is often the supraspinatus muscle, which is part of the rotator cuff. With athletes the cause can be acute trauma or overuse. If the cause is trauma to the shoulder, also assess the AC joint and the SC joint for sprains and the other muscles of the rotator cuff.
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| REFERRAL PAIN PATTERNS COULD CONFUSE THE ISSUE |
Acupuncturists are uniquely able to help with this type of injury. The treatment is stealthy and not painful, we can skillfully slip needles into the subacromial space and the motor points and trigger points of the supraspinatus muscle to clear inflammation, invigorate blood flow and restore muscle function. Electroacupuncture is key.
Acupuncture texts show the acupuncture point Bing Feng Si-12 in the muscle belly of the supraspinatus. The indications for this point include the “inability to raise the arm.”
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| SI-12 BING FENG IN SUPRASPINATUS MUSCLE BELLY |
If your acupuncturist does not know how to treat this, they can learn how in the Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship program.
I highly recommend following up treatment working with your movement coach, athletic trainer or physical therapist to create mobility, strength and functional movement patterns.
– Jenny Nieters, L. Ac.