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

Stress fractures, a common injury in athletes and individuals engaged in repetitive physical activities, can be debilitating and hinder one's overall well-being. These fractures occur due to the cumulative impact of repetitive stress on a particular bone, leading to microcracks that weaken its structure. While rest, proper nutrition, and physical therapy are conventional approaches for stress fracture recovery, alternative therapies like acupuncture have gained recognition for their potential to accelerate healing and alleviate associated symptoms. In this article, we talk about the role of acupuncture in managing stress fractures and its potential benefits. Understanding Stress Fractures Stress fractures are small, incomplete cracks in bones that result from repetitive forceful activities, such as running, jumping, or excessive weight-bearing exercises. These fractures typically develop in weight-bearing bones, such as the tibia (shinbone), metatarsals (foot bones), or fibula (cal...

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...

The leg is the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle. There two bones the tibia or shinbone together with the smaller fibula bone. Muscles in the legs move the ankle, foot and toes. There are three muscles at superficial layer: the calf muscles, including the gastrocnemius and soleus are the muscles at the back of the leg and plantaris. Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneus bone in the heel. There are four muscles in the deep compartment of the posterior leg: the popliteus, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus. These muscles contract to flex the foot — such as when standing on the tiptoes — and flex the toes. They also stabilize the ankle joint and foot and to maintain the body’s balance. There are four muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg; tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus and fibularis tertius. They invert the foot at the ankle joint and extend the toes. There are two musc...

Having shin pain? Acupuncture can help Shin pain or shin splints is pain on the front of the lower leg between the knee and the ankle. It can hurt directly over the shinbone all the way or over the muscles that are on the inner or outer side of the tibia. It can be a dull aching, or sharp and severe pain. It could be one or both shin with large area across whole length of the shin bone. This pain is usually caused by overuse from irritation of the muscles or other tissues in the lower leg. They are common in runners, tennis and basketball players. The cause is not clear, but it is suggested that running and repetitive weight baring on the legs leads to inflammation of the tissue around the shin bone. Acupuncture can help release shin pain by reducing inflammation of the area. The ankle is a large joint made up with three bones: two are from the leg tibia known as shin bone and fibula –the bone next to the shin bone; one foot bone talus sitting above the heel bone. Ankle joint moves th...

Restless legs syndrome is a common condition affecting nervous system. It causes an urge to move the legs and an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and sometimes arms, chest and face. It can also cause an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in the feet, calves and thighs. These symptoms can be mild or unbearable and are usually worse in the evening or during the night. These unpleasant sensations can often be relieved by moving or rubbing the legs. It can be difficult to sit for a long period of time. In severe cases, restless legs syndrome can be very distressing and disrupt a person's daily activities. About half of people with restless legs syndrome have some degree of lower back pain. Over 80% of people with restless legs syndrome also have a condition that is known as periodic limb movements (PLM). The symptoms of PLM are jerky or twitchy leg involuntary movements, usually at night while you are asleep. The cause of restless legs syndrome is not clear. A theory suggeste...

Thigh is the area between the hip and the knee. There is only single bone in the thigh called fumar, but there are a few groups of muscles in the thigh. Anterior group include pectineus, satorius and quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis. Posterior group includes hamstring muscles (semimembranosus, semitendinosus and beceps femoris. Medial group include adductor magnus, adductor longus and adductor brevis and gracilis. The lateral is tensor fasciae which continues with iliotibial tract. The iliotibial tract, also known as the iliotibial band, is a thick strip of connective tissue connecting several muscles in the lateral thigh. It arises at its proximal end from the tendons of the tensor fasciae latae and gluteus maximus muscles and then travels along the lateral side of the thigh and across the knee joint, inserting on the lateral epicondyle of the tibia Thigh pain Thigh pain is a very common complaint. It presents constant aching, or th...

The leg is the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle. There two bones the tibia or shinbone together with the smaller fibula bone. Muscles in the legs move the ankle, foot and toes. There are three muscles at superficial layer: the calf muscles, including the gastrocnemius and soleus are the muscles at the back of the leg. Their tendon, known as Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneus bone in the heel. Also plantaris is a superficial muscle.There are four muscles in the deep compartment of the posterior leg: the popliteus, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus. These muscles contract to flex the foot — such as when standing on the tiptoes — and flex the toes. They also stabilize the ankle joint and foot and to maintain the body’s balance. There are four muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg; tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus and fibularis tertius.They dorsiflex, invert the foot...