Dr Maggie Ju Acupuncture London Chelsea, North Kensington, Notting Hill, and Richmond

The human body is a complex and finely-tuned machine, but like any machine, it can experience glitches and discomfort. One common area where people often experience pain is the groin region. Groin pain can be both distressing and debilitating, impacting one's daily life and activities. Anatomy of the Groin Before delving into the causes of groin pain, it's essential to understand the anatomy of this region. The groin area, also known as the inguinal region, is located between the abdomen and the thigh. It consists of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and a network of lymph nodes. Key structures in the groin include the hip flexor muscles (such as the iliopsoas), the inguinal ligament, and the femoral artery and vein. Common Causes of Groin Pain Muscle Strains: Groin pain is often associated with muscle strains. The adductor muscles, which allow you to move your legs inward, are particularly susceptible to strain. Overexertion or sudden movements, such as kicking or sprinting, can le...

 

Groin pain is a common complaint that affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds. It can range from a mild discomfort to severe, debilitating pain, making everyday activities challenging. While there can be various causes of groin pain, including muscle strains, hernias, and reproductive organ issues, seeking effective relief is paramount for those experiencing this discomfort. In recent years, acupuncture has gained recognition as a potential solution for managing groin pain, offering a holistic and non-invasive approach to alleviate symptoms and promote overall well-being. In this article, we will investigate the benefits of acupuncture and its application in addressing pain in the groin area. Understanding Groin Pain: The groin area, located between the lower abdomen and inner thigh, is home to numerous muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When these structures are strained, injured, or affected by inflammation, it can lead to groin pain. This discomfort may be caused by sports-rel...

Sciatica is a common type of neuropathic pain that is characterized by a shooting pain radiating from the lower back down to the leg, sometimes accompanied by numbness and muscle weakness. This condition is often caused by the compression of the spinal nerve root by a disc herniation, which accounts for 85% of all cases. Unfortunately, a significant number of patients with sciatica suffer from persistent pain lasting a year or more due to the lack of effective treatments. This may eventually lead to neurological deficits and functional disability, significantly impacting their quality of life. Acupuncture has been recommended as an effective method for pain relief in patients with sciatica. A recent review aimed to assess the published clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for treating sciatica. The review analyzed a total of 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving 2,662 participants. The results showed that the clinical efficacy of acupuncture w...

You Might Be Overlooking the Role of Fascia in Your Pain and Stiffness When we experience pain or stiffness in our bodies, we tend to attribute it to tired muscles or stiff joints. However, there is a part of our body that we often overlook in this context: the fascia. The fascia is a network of thin connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, bone, muscle, blood vessel, and nerve fiber in place. Despite its crucial role in our body's movement and structure, fascia received very little attention until recently. One of the fascinating aspects of the fascia is that it has nerves, making it almost as sensitive as skin. When it is stressed, it tightens up. Although fascia appears to be one sheet of tissue, it is actually made up of multiple layers with liquid in between called hyaluronan. It is designed to stretch as we move. However, certain factors can cause fascia to thicken and become sticky, which can limit our mobility and cause painful knots to develop. Factors that ...

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has developed a clinical practice guideline for the noninvasive treatment of low back pain. The guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain. Acupuncture is recommended as one of the noninvasive treatments for low back pain. For patients with acute or subacute low back pain, acupuncture treatment is recommended in conjunction with superficial heat, massage, or spinal manipulation. This is based on moderate-quality evidence. For patients with chronic low back pain, acupuncture is recommended in conjunction with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation. This recommendation is also based on moderate-quality evidence. Recent research has analyzed the data for...

Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for fibromyalgia, which is a condition characterized by chronic pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stomach pain, bloating, low mood, poor concentration, and memory problems. Although fibromyalgia can affect people of different ages, it is most commonly found in middle-aged women, and treating this condition can be challenging. Acupuncture is a treatment method that has been used to address various medical conditions, particularly chronic pain. Research indicates that acupuncture's analgesic effect on the central nervous system, achieved by stimulating nerve fibers and producing an activation in the cascade of pain-modulating endorphins, serotonin, and noradrenaline, may contribute to its effectiveness in treating fibromyalgia. For example, a recent research paper summarized 20 studies, including a total of 1497 participants, with most of them being women, that inves...

  Dr. Helene Langevin, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital was talking about chronic pain and acupuncture and connective tissue. This helps you to understand how acupuncture works. 

The quadriceps femoris also known as the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads is agreat extensor muscle of the knee and it is a four headed muscle on the front of the thigh or four separate portions of the muscles. They all have their own names. All four parts of the quadriceps muscle join together forming one tendon which extends to the patellar lligament on the knee. Rectus femoris is in the middle of the thigh, covering most of the other three quadriceps muscles. The rectus femoris muscle starts as two or three heads from pelvic bone. The straight head attaches to the anterior inferior iliac spine, and the reflected head attaches to the superior rim of the acetabulum and capsule of the hip. Sometimes there is a recurrent head that arises from the anterosuperior angle of the femur’s greater trochanter. All the heads join, and the belly of the muscle then runs down the anterior thigh to attach by a broad aponeurosis to the base of the patella. The rectus femoris muscle not only e...

Pain receptors Pain is a signal that is transmitted from the injured part of the body to the brain. Most illness causes pain; therefore the pain signal cannot be ignored. Noxious stimuli elicit tissue damage and activated pain receptors. Activation of pain receptors initiates the process that pain is experienced. Pain receptors are free nerve endings presented in the skin, muscles, joints, bone and viscera. They are sensory receptors that sense and detect tissue damage and then transmit the signal through nerves to the brain. There are three types of pain receptors. First type is skin pain receptors which are in the skin. They can sense pinching, cutting, stretching, temperature, chemicals and other mechanical. If the stimulation is prolonged, these receptors are sensitized and respond more widely. Second type is joint receptors in the joint capsules and ligaments. Third type is visceral pain receptors located in internal organs. Silent pain receptors or sleep pain receptors are these ...

Pain starts from activation of the nervous system. There are 9 steps of the pain circle: Step 1: Local inflammation. Anything causing tissue damage such as injury, surgery, or infection can lead to local inflammation. This is the origin of the pain. Step2: Peripheral sensitization. Local inflammation irritates the nerves lowering the pain threshold causing peripheral sensitization. Step3: Central sensitization. Nerve signals are transmitted to the brain causing central sensitization. Step4: Pain sensation. The brain tells you that there is pain in the body somewhere. Step5: Pain cognitive processes. The brain where is sensing the pain connects other part of the brain where controls emotion causing emotional and behaviour changes. Step6: Depression and anxiety. The brain where controls emotions is affected by the pain signals and alters its function causing depression and anxiety Step7: Cortical reorganization. The brain reallocates its task to different parts of the body to reduce pai...

Pain is an unpleasant feeling and a signal in the nervous system that something may be wrong. Pain could be in one area of the body, such as back pain or all over the body such as fibromyalgia. It could be divided into two types of pain according to the onset and duration. There are two types of pain: acute and chronic Acute pain usually comes on suddenly, because of a disease, injury, or inflammation. It can often be diagnosed and treated. It usually goes away, though sometimes it can turn into chronic pain. Chronic pain lasts for a long time, and can cause severe problems. There are mainly three types of pain sensations Pricking pain is caused by a needle, pin prick, skin cut etc. This type of pain is precisely localized from the skin and conducted by the A fibers of the nerves. It is sharp, fast and short duration in nature. This pain is a protection mechanism to the body and warning to the brain that something goes wrong. Burning or soreness pain is caused by inflammation, burned s...