Dr Maggie Ju Acupuncture London Chelsea, Kensington and Richmond

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

Referred pain makes acupuncture points sensitized and tender. Referred pain is the pain felt in somewhere in the body other than in the site of origin. Pain referral has a neural basis. Specific pathways and neural connections in the brain are thought to lead to the possibility of pain referral. One group of nerve fibres conduct information about touch and another group conduct information about tissue damage or noxious stimulation via different sensory nerves. Many sensory fibres from different parts of the different area can terminate on the same set of second order neurons. The second order neurones are part of the pathway that sends sensory information to higher centres for perception. However, since there is so much convergence of sensory information from different body parts onto the same second order neurones, these second order neurones may provide ambiguous information as to the exact location of the noxious stimulus. This neural mechanism is thought to be one way whereby the

Pain and burning in the affected area, decreased strength and flexibility, and pain caused by everyday activities are very common. This is often caused by tendinopathy-tendon injury. Tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone. It is responsible to transmit muscle force to the bone. A healthy tendon is up to twice as strong as the muscle, making the body of the tendon unlikely to tear before the muscle unless the tendon has already been weakened by degenerative changes. The effects of ageing, wear and tear, genetic pre-disposition and inflammation are known factors contributing to tendon injuries. Injured tendon can cause pain, loss of limb function and prevent exercise and activities of daily living. Injured tendons heal by fibrotic repair and are highly prone to re-injury. Tendons consist of collagens, proteoglycans, glycoproteins, water and cells. It takes over 100 days to make new collagen. The healing time for injured tendon varies. T