Shoulder Pain Doctor In Chapel Hill, NC
As a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Chiropractic with more With more than twenty years of experience, Dr. Lisa Oskardmay has several treatments she uses to help those suffering from shoulder pain in Chapel Hill, NC. At the Acupractic Natural Healing Center, we enable wellness among our patients using proven treatments without the need for surgery or prescription medications which can cause serious side effects. If you would like to explore safe and long-lasting alternatives to drugs or invasive medical treatment, give us a call. If you live in the Chapel Hill, NC area, our doctor may be able to provide the relief you need for your shoulder pain.
A Doctor in Chapel Hill, NC Who Treats Shoulder Pain Using Acupuncture
Dr. Oskardmay understands that though a person may choose to live with chronic pain, they do not necessarily have to, especially if acupuncture can provide them with lasting or permanent relief. Many who suffer from shoulder pain do not realize that acupuncture can treat the cause of their illness, which is more effective than merely treating the symptoms. Addressing the cause offers a higher likelihood of eliminating the pain rather than masking the symptoms. Besides, acupuncture improves blood circulation which in itself is healing. As a Doctor of Chiropractic as well as a licensed acupuncturist in Chapel Hill, NC, Dr. Oskardmay is knowledgeable about the body’s natural ability to heal itself, especially once she determines the cause of the patient’s shoulder pain. Find out more by calling us at Acupractic Natural Healing Center to schedule an exam to diagnose the nature of your shoulder pain.
Types of Shoulder Pain That Can Be Treated by Acupuncture
After a shoulder pain doctor examines you in Chapel Hill, NC, Dr. Oskardmay will find the cause of your condition. If you can be treated using acupuncture, Dr. Oskardmay will suggest a treatment regimen. Alternately, if the nature of your situation necessitates, she can provide you with a recommendation for a specialist. However, the following familiar sources of shoulder pain can be treated using acupuncture, which we offer at Acupractic Natural Healing Center:
- Rotator cuff tendinitis. The shoulder joint, also known as the glenohumeral joint, is stabilized by the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is all of the muscles and tendons in the shoulder. When a patient is experiencing rotator cuff tendinitis, it is because their shoulder tendons are inflamed and swollen. What to know:
– A common cause for this condition is overuse of the shoulder tendons which often happens when participating in sports or lifting objects.
– Symptoms include pain when participating in activities requiring lifting or when sleeping, swelling, redness, or joint stiffness.
- Shoulder Bursitis. When the shoulder joint’s bursa sac is inflamed, it can lead to bursitis. What to know:
– Common causes include repetitive motion, injury, and impingement syndrome. Overuse of the shoulder may result from repetitive liftings such as lifting or holding a baby, or too much computer work. Damage of the joint as from a football or other sports injury or fall may be visible but may not appear immediately- onset of pain may take days. Nerve passage encroachment in the neck or clavicle region can cause impingement syndrome of the shoulder. This painful situation may be due to vertebral misalignment or degenerative changes in the lower cervical or upper thoracic vertebra putting pressure on the nerves going to the shoulders. When caused at the level of the clavicle bone in the shoulder, nerve impingement can be due to the brachial plexus nerves getting pinched after they exit the spine and as they cross under the clavicle; misalignment of the upper cervical spine and upper ribs can cause muscle and ligament tightness that squeezes the nerves and affects their flow.
– Shoulder bursitis may cause pain on the outside of the upper arm or shoulder.
Dr. Oskardmay relies on modern medical and ancient Chinese medicine diagnostic techniques to determine the cause and treatment plan of your shoulder pain. Nerves arising from the lower cervical spine send nerve messages to the shoulder down to the fingers. Problems in the nerves of the lower neck and upper thoracic region of the back can cause or contribute to shoulder pain. Dr. Oskardmay recognizes the connection between neck, shoulder and nerve pain and can use acupuncture to treat problems in these regions, adding chiropractic adjustments as needed if requested.
Another way to see shoulder pain is through the lens of acupuncture diagnosis. Several acupuncture channels course the shoulder- including those of the wood element (gallbladder or wood yang), fire element (sanjiao and small intestine or fire yang, and heart and xinbao or fire yin), and the metal element (lung or metal yin, and large intestine or metal yang). While the elements wood, fire, and metal may not mean much to a western practitioner, these elements indicate specific areas of imbalance that can be relieved to provide increased healing to the shoulder. Your acupuncturist Dr. Oskardmay will ask to see your tongue, feel your pulses and ask you a series of questions related to your shoulder pain and other life areas such as diet and temperature preferences and questions about your daily habits and sleep. If channel imbalance is detected, she will apply acupuncture techniques including needle stimulation and massage techniques such as gua sha to restore channel flow and harmony.
Additionally, sometimes lack of coordination in the yin and yang energy system is noticed. In Chinese medicine, yin and yang relate to the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system healing body energies. For instance, if a deficiency of yin energy in the metal lung channel which travels from the lateral clavicle to the thumb is detected, this could result in pain in the anterior part of the shoulder as well as the thumb or ulnar aspect of the wrist. Also, symptoms of yin deficiency of the lung may present such as dry cough or skin. Proper application of Chinese medicine involves a deeper understanding of the human body than just where pain exists. Once correctly diagnosed, however, treatment using acupuncture and Chinese medicine techniques can have far-reaching benefits unknown to western medicine.
Discover If Acupuncture Can Provide You with Pain Relief
Call Acupractic Natural Healing Center today for an appointment with our licensed acupuncturist in Chapel Hill, NC who can provide you with the shoulder pain relief you need. Dr. Oskardmay is knowledgeable in all areas related to shoulder pain and is available to help you get the comfort you need.