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

Neck and shoulder pain is a common complaint that affects millions of people worldwide. While it can be challenging enough on its own, some individuals also experience an alarming phenomenon: the pain shooting down to their arms, forearms, and fingers. This radiating pain can be both distressing and debilitating, but understanding why it occurs is the first step towards finding relief and addressing the underlying issues. The Anatomy of the Neck, Shoulders, and Arms To understand why neck and shoulder pain can radiate to the arms, forearms, and fingers, it's crucial to grasp the complex anatomy of this region. The neck consists of seven cervical vertebrae, while the shoulders comprise the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (upper arm bone). The arms extend down to the wrists and hands, where numerous bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves converge. Common Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain Muscular Strain: One of the most prevalent causes of neck and shoulder pain is muscular stra...

Shoulder impingement is a common orthopedic condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder become compressed or irritated, leading to pain and discomfort. This condition can significantly impact a person's daily life, making it essential to understand its causes, symptoms, and acupuncture is one of the treatment option. Causes of Shoulder Impingement Shoulder impingement typically develops gradually, often due to repetitive overhead activities or poor shoulder mechanics. Some common causes include: Overuse: Activities such as painting, swimming, weightlifting, or playing tennis can lead to overuse of the shoulder joint, causing wear and tear on the tendons over time. Anatomical Factors: Certain individuals may have structural abnormalities, such as a hooked acromion (a bone at the top of the shoulder blade), which increases the risk of impingement. Muscle Weakness or Imbalance: Weakness or imbalance in the muscles suppor...

Shoulder pain is a common complaint that can be caused by a variety of conditions, one of which is a rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, providing stability and allowing for a wide range of motion. When one or more of these tendons become damaged or torn, it can lead to significant discomfort and functional limitations. The Anatomy of the Rotator Cuff To better understand rotator cuff tears and their relationship to shoulder pain, it's essential to grasp the anatomy of the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff comprises four muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These muscles originate from the scapula (shoulder blade) and attach to the head of the humerus (upper arm bone). Together, they form a cuff around the humeral head, stabilizing the shoulder joint and facilitating arm movements. Causes of Rotator Cuff Tears Rotator cuff tears can be classified into two main categories: t...

 

Many of us have experienced that unpleasant sensation of tightness in our bodies, whether it's in the neck, shoulders, back, or other areas. This tightness can hinder our daily activities, cause discomfort, and even lead to chronic pain if left unaddressed. While there are several factors that contribute to this sensation, acupuncture has emerged as a holistic and effective approach to alleviate tightness and promote overall well-being. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind a tight body and how acupuncture can offer relief. Understanding the Causes of a Tight Body: Stress and Tension: Modern lifestyles often subject us to high levels of stress, both physical and emotional. This stress leads to increased muscle tension, resulting in the feeling of tightness. Prolonged stress can also disrupt the body's natural balance, leading to imbalances in energy flow. Sedentary Lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle, characterized by long hours of sitting and minimal physical activi...

Chronic neck pain is a prevalent and serious health issue worldwide, often accompanied by restricted neck movement, dizziness, anxiety, and insomnia. Fortunately, acupuncture has emerged as an effective treatment for chronic neck pain. A review was conducted to summarize the latest scientific evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating acute, subacute, and chronic neck pain. The review included 27 studies that represented individuals with various types of neck pain. Three studies involved individuals with whiplash-associated disorders, five studies explored chronic myofascial neck pain, five studies focused on chronic pain due to arthritic changes, six studies involved chronic non-specific neck pain, two studies addressed neck pain with radicular signs, and six studies focused on subacute or chronic mechanical neck pain. The review revealed that acupuncture was beneficial for pain intensity at immediate-term follow-up compared to sham acupuncture, short-term follow-up comp...

Chronic shoulder pain is a prevalent form of musculoskeletal pain. It is commonly caused by conditions such as rotator cuff strain or tear, biceps tendinitis, subacromial bursitis, glenohumeral osteoarthritis, impingement syndrome, and adhesive capsulitis. Acupuncture has been identified as a safe and effective therapy for treating chronic shoulder pain. A randomized trial conducted in Germany involved 424 outpatients who suffered from chronic shoulder pain for more than six weeks. The study showed that acupuncture significantly reduced shoulder pain and improved shoulder movement at three months post-treatment and immediately after the end of treatment. In another clinical trial, researchers studied the effects of acupuncture on shoulder pain in patients aged 25 to 83 years. Six months after treatment, the acupuncture group showed a significantly greater improvement in pain intensity compared to the control group. This suggests that acupuncture can provide effective long-term relief f...

Pain is an inevitable part of life that can have a significant impact on one's quality of life. The experience of pain involves the transformation of pain stimulus into a nerve signal that is sent to the brain. The pain sensation and pain response are produced by integrating and processing this information in the brain. Several neurotransmitters, such as opioid peptides, γ-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and glutamate, are involved in pain modulation. While painkillers can be effective in managing pain, they also have potential side effects such as addiction, drowsiness, and damage to brain function. Consequently, many people are turning to alternative therapies such as acupuncture, which is known for its few side effects. Acupuncture has gained popularity as a method of pain management around the world. Originally from China, acupuncture has been shown to have positive analgesic effects in many studies. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that the ne...

Acupuncture, a form of alternative medicine that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body, has been widely used to relieve pain in clinical settings. Due to its effectiveness and minimal side effects, it has become a popular treatment option for various pain conditions. A recent systematic review aimed to investigate the effects of acupuncture on hand and wrist pain intensity, functional status, and quality of life in adults. The study findings indicated that acupuncture may be effective and safe for short-term pain reduction and functional improvement in hand-and-wrist conditions. The systematic review examined the results of several trials on different conditions. One trial focused on cryotherapy-induced pain and showed significant pain reduction post-treatment. Another trial looked at rheumatoid arthritis and found significant pain reduction and function improvements post-treatment and in the short-term. A third trial focused on carpal tunnel syndrome and dem...

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 ...

  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. 

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...

Qigong is a technique used in Chinese medicine to create Yin Yang balance and improve Qi circulation. It is an ancient Chinese healing technique that combines body movement, breathing and mental focus. It coordinates the body, breath and mind and opens the flow of energy in meridians used in acupuncture. One of the purposes that people practice qigong throughout China and worldwide is for exercise and relaxation. The Baduanjin qigong(八段锦) is one of the most popular forms of Chinese qigong used as exercise. It involves the eight individual movements to improve health. This exercise is originating from the Song Dynasty. It attributes to the Chinese folk hero General Yue Fei. He taught the exercise to his men to help keep their bodies strong and well-prepared for battle.

 

Acupuncture began in China about 2500 years ago and it is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is based on theory of meridians (channels). Chinese Medicine believes that energy (called qi) flows around human body freely through meridians without being interrupted. If the channel is blocked resulting that qi cannot pass through the channel, this may cause illness. The acupuncture needles are inserted into certain points of your body along with the channels to unblock the channels. The effectiveness of acupuncture to treat disorders is still a long standing question in research field. There are many conflicting research results on treatments of different kinds of conditions. Sometimes it is difficult to draw firm conclusions, because of the way that the research was conducted. Researchers are trying hard to perform well designed research using control group and sham acupuncture. For some conditions, the effectiveness with acupuncture treatment is agreed, such as back pain by the...

 

Chronic pain is often defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Chronic pain persists—often for months or even longer. Pain is a very personal and subjective experience. There is no test that can measure and locate pain with precision. Chronic pain can occur anywhere in the body from the head to the toes, such as headaches, neck pain, back pain, thigh pain, leg pain and foot pain, facial pain, chest pain, abdominal pain, pelvic pain and genital pain etc. Chronic pain may occur in a variety of locations in the body and for many different reasons. With chronic pain, the goal of treatment is to reduce pain and improve function. No1 chronic pain compromise the quality of life so much. No2 It makes you tense. Chronic pain indicates there is chronic inflammation and it irritates the nerve and creates muscle tension. No3 It can make you have fatigue. All the inflammation from the chronic pain makes you feel tired all the time. No4 It can disturb your sleep. Chronic pain always irritates...

Suffering from shoulder pain? Tried acupuncture? Shoulder pain is very common: about 3 in 10 adults are affected by them at any one time. Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff disorders are most common in middle-aged and older people. Frozen shoulder Frozen shoulder is a painful condition in the shoulder. The medical term for frozen shoulder is adhesive capsulitis. It presents a painful persistent stiffness of the shoulder joint that it is difficult to carry out everyday tasks such as dressing, driving and sleeping comfortably. Some people are unable to move their shoulder at all. This is caused when the capsule surrounds the shoulder joint becomes inflamed. The capsule that surrounds your shoulder joint becomes swollen, thickened and tightened This leaves less space for your upper arm bone in the shoulder joint, and makes the movement stiff and painful. The symptoms of frozen shoulder can vary greatly, but tend to get worse slowly over the time. They are usually felt in three stages spread...