Case Study: Acupuncture And the Treatment of Shoulder Pain

A few months ago a patient presented to me with a condition of severe shoulder pain for a duration of three weeks.
This shoulder pain and stiffness was affecting his ability to perform his work. This patient was involved in strenuous outdoor manual labor and his limited mobility and pain was seriously affecting his personal as well as his professional life.
The pain was described as a 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. The pain began in the back of the shoulder and radiated both upwards toward the neck and laterally into the region of his armpit.
The patient previously had been diagnosed with a herniated disc condition in his cervical vertebrae which was further complicating his pain.
After our initial evaluation I recommended a series of five acupuncture visits in close succession.
The approach to acupuncture therapy I used was to administer the needles around the whole shoulder area and the shoulder blade as well as treating the area of the nape of the neck.
Upon this patients return to the office for his second visit, he reported pain relief from the first acupuncture session. On the fourth visit, the patient reported that he was able to stop taking his anti-inflammatory medication and his pain levels had gone from a 10 to a 0.
I made some recommendations of things to avoid during his working hours and also when he exercised and the patient remained pain free after our initial course of treatment.
I subsequently treated this patient five more times over the course of the next few months when the shoulder would present with a little pain or stiffness however the intensity of the pain that this patient experienced before the acupuncture therapy never returned and the patient was able to resume full duty at work and at the gym.
To learn more about Acupuncture and the treatment of pain, call New Eastern Health Center, 609-536-2339 or visit www.neweastern health.com.