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What a Pain in the Neck!

How Acupuncture Alleviates Neck Pain

swan-neck

 

A man came to my acupuncture office in Mesa, AZ experiencing extreme neck pain.  On a one to ten scale it was about one hundred out of ten.  It began at the top of his shoulder and radiated up his neck and into his head.  He would grimace and cry out in pain with the slightest movement of his neck.  It was probably the worst case of neck pain I had ever treated in over 20 years of practice. So I took a deep breath, called upon my master teachers and the ancient physicians for additional wisdom and began the treatment.  My experience told me that his neck and shoulders were too irritated and inflamed to needle directly so I began looking for points on his feet and ankles to alleviate his neck pain.  Wait a minute.  Points on the feet and ankles get rid of neck pain?  Seriously?  Yep.  I started out by pressing on the points I knew to be effective for this particular type of  neck pain.  If simply pressing on the point lessened the severity of the pain then I needled the point.  If the point did not change the pain then I moved on to another.  I did this until…..until his pain went away.  That’s right, it was gone.  Even I was blown away.  I gave a silent thank you to my teachers for their help and talked to my patient about a treatment plan and follow up care.   A couple of days later he called to say that he would be undergoing a nerve ablation treatment that his doctor recommended.  I was very disappointed with that news because I felt that by following the treatment plan he would have had a successful out come and avoided surgery.

A year later, much to my surprise, the same man called for an appointment.  His neck pain had returned after the ablation with a vengeance and he remembered that I had helped him a year ago.  I’m glad he called but I am more than a little concerned.  It’s been  a year later and he’s had surgery. Has his condition worsened since I last treated him?  Will the acupuncture still be effective?  Once again I call on my master teachers and the ancient physicians and with my patient together we are able to alleviate his neck pain with acupuncture.  I am happy to say this time around he followed the treatment plan and has been pain free.

Neck pain can happen for many different reasons.  In this patient’s case, he had a severe trigger point in his upper shoulder muscle that referred pain to his neck and head. A trigger point is a hypersensitive spot in the muscle tissue that refers pain to another area of the body.  The acupuncture, over a series of treatments reduced inflammation, calmed the irritation, relaxed the muscle and extinguished the trigger point.

Other causes of neck pain are whiplash, falls or sports injuries.  Sometimes people wake up with a stiff painful neck. In Chinese Medicine this is called “head fell off pillow”. Sleeping under an open window or sleeping or sitting for a long time under air conditioning vents activates trigger points and causes muscle spasms in the neck.

Chronic conditions like arthritis, degenerated or herniated discs can cause neck pain as well as tingling and numbness in the arms and hands.  Inflammation, sprains, strains and wear and tear all contribute to neck pain as well.

Acupuncture reduces pain and inflammation, relaxes tight muscles and increases range of motion in the neck.  If you are experiencing neck pain and stiffness you don’t have to suffer.  Call for an appointment- you can be on your way to being pain free sooner than you think.

In Motion Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture

4435 E. Broadway Rd.  Suite 4

Mesa, AZ 85206

480-832-0966

 

Photo: Creative Commons

 

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Raise Your Hand if You Have Shoulder Pain

Ha! Trick question.  You can’t raise your hand because you have shoulder pain!  And I’ll bet you can’t throw a ball, hit an overhand serve in tennis or even take a gallon of milk out of the refrigerator.  Have you stopped doing the activities you enjoy or stopped playing the the sports you love?  Or maybe you find that you need more help lifting even small things around the house?  You don’t have to live with it.  Here’s a story on just how fabulously effective acupuncture is at alleviating shoulder pain:

baseball-overhand

I belong to a great Wednesday morning networking group called SNRG, located in Gold Canyon, AZ.  I had given a fun presentation on how Chinese Medicine looks at the aging process.  After my talk each member shared a testimonial about another member’s good work and service.  One member mentioned that he had come in to see me and could barely lift his arm to 90 degrees.  After 3 treatments he regained full range of motion and has been pain free for 3 years.  Another member chimed in that  he had had the same problem and that he had come to see me for several treatments and he has been pain free for almost 2 years.  Another member stood up raised his hand overhead and said “Well you guys aren’t the only ones who can do that.  I’ve been in to see Denise too!”  I was very touched.

Shoulder pain typically responds well to acupuncture and the results are generally long lasting.

Raise you hand, pick up the phone and give us a call if you would like your shoulder pain to go away.  In Motion Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture located in Mesa, AZ.  480-832-0966

 

 

Photo by Keith Allison

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Chocolate Chia Pudding

Creamy, Chocolaty Goodness and It's Healthy Too!

Lately this has been my go to recipe when I am craving a creamy treat and still want to make a healthy choice.  It is very easy to make and satisfies those chocolate cravings with out added sugar.  Liquid stevia gives sweetness to the pudding.  Chia seeds are an ancient power food originally from Mexico.  They are high in fiber, protein, and anti-oxidants.  Research has shown they help to regulate blood sugar levels.  They are also high in omega 3 and other essential fatty acids, which make them an excellent anti- inflammatory food.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

1 can full fat coconut milk- must be full fat or pudding will not set.

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 heaping cup chia seeds

2  full dropper squirts liquid stevia

In a blender, blend coconut milk until smooth.  Blend in almond milk then blend in cocoa until smooth.  Blend in chia seeds until smooth.  Mix in stevia.  Pour into 2 quart mason jar.  Allow pudding to set up in refrigerator overnight.

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Slowing the Aging Process with Chinese Medicine

One of the things about Chinese Medicine that fascinates me is how the Medicine views aging.  According to the principals of Chinese Medicine, women age in cycles of 7 years and men in cycles of 8 years.  At age 21 for women and 24 for men development is complete.  Our physical peak occurs at age 28 for women and 32 for men.  This is when our muscles, tendons, and bones are at their strongest.  This explains why endurance athletes peak later in life compared to other athletes. Then at the next cycle, age 35 for women and 40 for men subtle signs of aging begin.  Fine lines begin to appear, hair loss becomes more prominent and dental issues occur.  At age 42 for women and 48 for men signs of aging become more noticeable.  The hair becomes gray, wrinkles deepen and and the face begins to sag.  During the next cycle, age 49 for women and 56 for men signs of aging are seen and felt.  Women may experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and insomnia.  Men may experience more hair loss and frequent night urination.  Both men and women may notice more joint pain, tendon issues, loss of energy and decrease in hearing.  The cycles continue on every 7 or 8 years.  Major changes in health can be seen around these time periods.

In Chinese Medicine the Kidneys are the root of life and the foundation of good health.  The strength of our Kidney energy determines our growth, development, maturation and how quickly we age. All of us are born with a limited amount of Kidney energy also known as Jing. We use a little Jing  everyday and it cannot be replaced. But Jing can be supplemented by eating healthy foods, living in a clean environment and of course by receiving regular acupuncture.  Premature aging is a sign of Jing depletion.  A course of acupuncture followed by regular maintenance treatments preserves and restores vital kidney energy.

 

Image from www.queenofyourownlife.com

 

natural-aging

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Welcome to In Motion Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture

Together. Keeping You In Motion.

Hello,

If you are interested in learning how acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can provide solutions to different types of health conditions then you have come to the right spot.   Oriental Medicine is over 3,000 years old and the ancient physicians of the time had a complete understanding of how the human body functioned, the causes of illness and how to restore health.  In this blog, I will discuss how Oriental medicine alleviates pain and treats specific orthopedic conditions and what you can do to continue to maintain your health. Often, acupuncture and Oriental medicine provide relief when other treatments have not been successful. I’ll also publish tasty and healthy recipes that aid the healing process.   I look forward to sharing with you the fascinating world of Oriental Medicine.