If you're like me, spending hours on end parked in front of a screen, you might be all too familiar with that nagging back pain. It's no secret that sitting for prolonged periods can wreak havoc on your back, but have you ever wondered why?

In my practice, nearly all my patients come in with a pre-existing Western Medical diagnosis of a imbalanced/pathological state, such as GERD (acid reflux) or insomnia. I always take this information in, as it’s useful, and as an American who culturally grew up in the western medical system, I can understand quickly what the patient is trying to convey to me about how they feel and why they are there. 

From my perspective, one of the biggest barriers between the general public and widespread acceptance of Oriental Medicine practice is language. There is a language to this healing tradition that sound not only foreign, but downright scary to a western ear. Liver Qi  Stagnation? Erupting Blood Toxins? Yin Deficiency? All of these sound like the patient may have serious cause for alarm and should be headed to the ER, not the acupuncturist’s clinic.  Now what if I said “Stress and Anxiety”, Rashes, and normal perimenopausal estrogen loss?  Is this better? 

In this article, I want to talk about how acupuncture and associated Oriental Medicine modalities can help with shoulder pain. In the first part, I will share my journey with shoulders and acupuncture, as this is the body part that got me interested in acupuncture to start with! In the second part, I will discuss the most common conditions I have seen in the clinic and what some modern research is finding about acupuncture as a treatment for common shoulder conditions.

Insomnia is a common problem that affects millions of people. While there are many pharmaceutical solutions available, they often come with unwanted side effects. Acupuncture is a natural treatment that can be very effective in treating insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain. Nearly one-third of American adults experience chronic pain, and almost one in five surveyed Europeans indicated they have moderate or severe chronic pain. According to the participant in a study, the three most common sources of chronic pain are low back pain (29%), neck pain (16%), and severe headache or migraine pain (15%).