Shoulder tendonitis is an inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons and/or biceps tendon. Tendons connect muscle to bone and can often become pinched and irritated from repetitive movements. The rotator cuff connects the upper arm bone (humerus) to the shoulder blade (scapula) and consists of four shoulder muscles that stabilise and move the shoulder joint and the tendons that attach the muscles to the bone.

Shoulder tendonitis is often associated with sports injuries when the shoulder is used in a repetitive overarm action such as in tennis, swimming or baseball/softball. Heavy lifting and occupations that have repetitive overarm movements such as painting, as well as everyday activities like gardening and scrubbing or cleaning may also cause tendonitis. Tendons become less flexible as we get older and so are more susceptible to injury.

It can cause swelling and tenderness in the front of the shoulder, and you are likely to feel a dull ache around the outside of your shoulder. Initial symptoms include pain when lifting your arm, especially above shoulder height and with forward reaching movements. As the problem progresses, reaching your arm behind your back becomes more painful so simple tasks like brushing your hair and putting on your coat become difficult. Lying on the affected shoulder hurts and the pain can worsen at night keeping you awake. After a period of time you may start to lose strength in your arm.

Rest is required to avoid continued aggravation of the tendons and gentle exercise helps to maintain movement and prevent frozen shoulder. Acupuncture can reduce the pain and inflammation caused by shoulder tendonitis and it also increases the blood circulation and qi (energy) flowing to the tendons, allowing your body to heal itself faster. Frozen shoulder is when the tissue covering the shoulder bones and rotator cuff muscles and tendons tightens and thickens on the shoulder joint causing severe pain, stiffness and immobility.

A trapped nerve in the back of your neck can also cause shoulder pain but this is a more intense sudden pain than the persistent dull ache from tendonitis. Shoulder pain from a trapped nerve in your neck usually occurs when moving your head and neck, rather than the shoulder pain from tendonitis that occurs when moving your arm. A trapped nerve in your neck can lead to a tingling and numb feeling going down your shoulder and arm to your hand and you should seek advice from your doctor if this happens.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.

There are three main nerves in your arm that run from your neck to your hand – the median, ulnar and radial nerves. Acupuncture can reduce the pain and swelling caused by nerve entrapment and it also increases the blood circulation and qi (energy) flowing to the area, allowing your body to heal itself faster.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is due to pressure on the median nerve in the wrist where it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of your hand. A broken wrist or arthritis in the wrist joint can narrow the carpal tunnel space. The median nerve can also be damaged by repetitive flexing of the wrist causing swelling that puts pressure on the nerve. Typing on a keyboard or using a computer mouse while resting your wrist on a hard surface can increase pressure on the nerve.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are numbness and tingling in your thumb, index, middle and ring fingers that comes and goes to begin with and may be worse at night if you sleep with your wrists bent. Over time you may lost thumb dexterity and start to have difficulty gripping things with your fingers or doing simple tasks such as buttoning a shirt. Pain or tingling may travel up your forearm from your wrist. Acupuncture can help to relieve the pain, tingling and numbness. 

Cubital tunnel syndrome is when the ulnar nerve on the inside of the elbow becomes inflamed, swollen and irritated due to compression or stretching. The cubital tunnel is a narrow tunnel of tissue under the medial epicondyle which is the bony bump on the inside of your elbow. The ulnar nerve is most vulnerable where it goes through the cubital tunnel. When you hit your funny bone and feel a shock-like sensation in your arm, this is the ulnar nerve being pinched on the inside of your elbow. Many people suffering from golfer’s elbow also experience cubital tunnel syndrome. 

Initial symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome are numbness and tingling in your pinky and ring finger that comes and goes. Someone who leans on their elbows a lot with their arms bent may experience this due to the pressure on the nerve. If you sleep with your elbows bent, you may find that your pinky and ring fingers are numb when you wake up because the nerve has been stretched around the bent elbow. The cubital tunnel can also be narrowed by arthritis of the elbow joint or by an injury. Over time these symptoms can become more persistent along with an aching pain on the inside of your elbow and muscle weakness affecting the arm and hand. Acupuncture can help to relieve the pain and discomfort.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.

Elbow tendonitis is more commonly known as tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. They are repetitive strain injuries that occur when the tendons attaching the forearm muscles to the bony bumps (epicondyles) on the outside and inside of the elbow become inflamed due to overuse and repetitive motions, leading to small tears in the tendon.  The tendonitis often occurs in your dominant arm, so if you are right-handed it is more likely to develop in your right elbow.

The forearm muscles allow you to grip, lift, rotate and flex your wrist, and these actions may become difficult or painful. Pain is felt on the outside or inside of your elbow and it may radiate along your forearm to your wrist. Your elbow may become stiff and you might have weakness or tingling in your arm or hand.

Rest is required to avoid continued aggravation of the tendon and gentle exercise helps to maintain movement. Symptoms may slowly get worse over time if the injury is not allowed to heal. Acupuncture can reduce the pain and swelling caused by elbow tendonitis and it also increases the blood circulation and qi (energy) flowing to the tendon, allowing your body to heal itself faster.

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) causes pain on the outside of the elbow.  The name comes from the arm motion when hitting a backhand in tennis, putting stress on the back of the wrist and the tendon connecting the forearm extensor muscles to the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow affects the muscles used to bend the wrist backwards and straighten your fingers. Pain is felt when lifting objects with your palm facing upwards.

Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) causes pain on the inside of the elbow. The name comes from the arm motion when swinging to hit a golf ball (and similar to hitting a forehand in tennis), putting stress on the front of the wrist and the tendon connecting the forearm flexor muscles to the inside of the elbow. Golfer’s elbow affects the muscles that flex your wrist and close your fingers into a fist. Pain is felt when lifting objects with your palm facing downwards.

However tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow does not just happen with sports. Many people with manual jobs recognise the tendonitis pain as repetitive strain injury from repetitive arm motion making plumbers, carpenters and painters susceptible. Everyday activities can also put repetitive stress and strain on your forearms such as lifting and carrying heavy bags, small hand and wrist movements when typing on a keyboard or knitting for several hours, and twisting your wrist when using a screwdriver or opening a jar.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.

The Achilles tendon in the back of the leg connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. It is the largest and strongest tendon in the body and allows us to raise our heels and push with our toes to walk, run and jump. It is under a lot of stress and pressure every day and is susceptible to damage.

Acupuncture can reduce the pain and swelling caused by damage to the Achilles tendon and it also increases the blood circulation and qi (energy) flowing to the tendon, allowing your body to heal itself faster.

The term ‘Achilles heel’ is used to describe a weakness or vulnerability in an otherwise strong person which can lead to their downfall. In Greek mythology, Achilles was a mighty warrior of the Trojan War. When he was a child his mother dipped him in the waters of the River Styx making him all but immortal, with only his heel remaining vulnerable where she had held him. He died in battle after being shot with an arrow in the heel. Acupuncture needles are much more beneficial!

Achilles tendonitis is a repetitive stress injury that occurs over time from repeated stress and pressure on the Achilles tendon.  It often happens when we push our body to do too much, too quickly, such as when running or playing high impact sports.  The tendon becomes irritated and inflamed and there is usually a gradual onset of pain and discomfort.  The pain is worse after periods of inactivity such as first thing in the morning or after sitting for a while. There are two types of Achilles tendonitis. Small tears can occur in the middle of the tendon during sports activities, or small tears and bone spurs can occur in the lower part of the tendon where it meets the heel bone in active or inactive people. Rest and gentle exercise that does not put too much stress on the Achilles tendon is often recommended. Recovery can take several weeks.

Achilles tendonitis causes pain at the back of the heel and pain tends to get worse with activity. In contrast, plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia which is the band of tissue on the sole of your foot connecting the heel bone to the toes) causes pain on the bottom of the heel which tends to get better with activity.

An Achilles rupture is when the tendon tears suddenly due to being overstretched. Usually a popping or snapping sound is heard and you feel a sudden, sharp and severe pain in the back of your leg, which eventually settles into a dull ache. You may have difficulty walking or not be able to put your full weight on the affected leg or stand on tip toes. Immediate medical attention should be sought and surgery may be required. Recovery can take several months.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common types of arthritis. They both cause damage in different ways but both lead to painful, swollen and stiff joints which can make life harder and affect simple, everyday activities. Acupuncture around the affected joint can help to relieve the pain caused by arthritis. I have had successful results in the clinic in treating arthritis pain, particularly in hands to benefit finger dexterity. If you suffer from arthritis, why not give acupuncture a try?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and affects millions of people. It is a degenerative disease that gets worse over time due to wear and tear on a joint, reducing the amount of protective cartilage between bones and causing swelling and bony spurs to form. Severe cartilage deterioration can result in bone rubbing against bone which can lead to the joint changing shape.

Typical symptoms are joint pain and stiffness with problems moving the joint. It often affects the hands, knees, hips or spine but any moving joint could be damaged. Causes are age, injury, family history or obesity and it is more common in women than men.

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured but the pain can be managed. Regular gentle exercise will help keep joints moving, while maintaining a healthy weight will help reduce stress on joints. Over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medication can help with pain relief. Acupuncture is an effective alternative treatment for pain relief.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system targets healthy joints leading to pain, inflammation and stiffness. It mistakenly attacks the tissue forming the outer covering of the joint which causes painful swelling and eventually it can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity.

It commonly affects smaller joints first, such as in the hands and feet before moving on to larger joints and it is usually symmetrical, affecting the same joints on both sides of the body. Symptoms come and go in ‘flare ups’. Other symptoms apart from painful swollen joints may affect the body such as fatigue and fever. Causes are genetics (family history), hormones (it is more common in women than men) and smoking.

Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured but early treatment with medication can slow the progression of the disease to prevent it getting worse. It should be diagnosed and treated by your doctor in the first instance. Over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medication can help with pain relief, but once again acupuncture can help ease the symptoms.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.

Sciatica is pain caused by the sciatic nerve when it becomes inflamed or trapped. The sciatic nerve starts in your lower back at the lumbar region of your spine and spreads out towards your hips, over your buttocks and down the back of your legs to your ankles. The pain is often felt as a constant dull ache in your lower back which can become a sharper stabbing pain in the upper leg with a tingling pins and needles sensation radiating down to your knee and sometimes as far as your ankle. Usually only one side of the body is affected. Occasionally pain can be felt in the front of your upper leg and groin. Simple tasks like putting on your socks and shoes or getting in and out of a car become difficult and painful.

Sitting in an upright position with your back supported often feels the comfiest, however the pain and discomfort can increase with sitting for too long in the same position, such as when watching tv or driving, and you find yourself fidgeting around every few minutes trying to find a new comfier position. Standing up will sometimes help but again, standing for too long (especially in one position) will create more pain and discomfort, in which case sitting down can help. And so the cycle of pain continues.

The cause of the sciatica may be temporary or permanent depending on what has irritated the sciatic nerve. The pain is often managed by over-the-counter painkillers or stronger prescription drugs if necessary. In some cases, surgery may be a last resort.

Acupuncture is very good for managing the pain from sciatica and provides an alternative for many people to popping pills all the time.

I have successfully treated sciatica in the clinic, including my husband who has a degenerative lower back condition which has trapped his sciatic nerve, causing him constant pain and forcing him to leave his job. He has acupuncture treatments every 2-3 weeks to help manage the pain and discomfort which allows him to reduce the amount of over-the-counter painkillers he takes. I know when he is in pain and ready for another acupuncture session because he is constantly shifting his position trying to get comfortable. For him, acupuncture will not cure the sciatica but it relieves the pain sufficiently to allow him to lead a relatively normal life. If you or someone you know is suffering from sciatica, why not give acupuncture a try.

Acupuncture for pain management helps your body to feel better which in turn uplifts your mind and spirit bringing a greater balance to your enjoyment of life. Book a treatment with Kathy Hitchens at Balancing Acupuncture in Truro.