Musculoskeletal conditions encompass a very wide array of problems, but for simplicity I shall exclude under this category, both injuries and arthritis; for help with them, please look under their specific headings on my website. Under the musculoskeletal heading, I am going to give you an introduction to how acupuncture approaches conditions as diverse as frozen shoulder, stiff neck, tight shoulders, trapped nerves and carpal tunnel syndrome.

In our first consultation, I need to establish when the problem began, whether you feel it was triggered by a particular event, or whether it has crept on gradually. Then there are some other things for you to think about. Do you feel pain all of the time, or only on certain movements? Is your range of movement restricted, and if so, how eg. a frozen shoulder might be preventing you from reaching into a back pocket or brushing your hair? Is the pain sharp or shooting, or does it feel more dull and heavy? Have you found it responds to movement, rest or warmth? Does the pain spread some distance from where you feel the focus of the problem lies eg. pain which radiates from your shoulder to your elbow or beyond?

Next I will gather information on your health and wellbeing more generally, and note any other medical conditions which you have, or have had, in the past. We will move on to a thorough physical examination of the affected area and its surroundings, including assessing your range of movement and checking for tender areas. I can then give you your first treatment, aimed not only at helping the problem directly, but also at assisting with any subtle underlying imbalances which may have been perpetuating it: even stress may be one such factor.

My treatments for musculoskeletal problems are likely to involve a combination of massage and acupuncture, with exercises for you to perform at home. Generally, the longer a condition has persisted, or the more severe it is, the more treatment will be required. Change is usually experienced after five or six treatments, but fairly recent problems treated early, can respond more quickly. I will usually suggest an initial number of sessions, after which we will review progress.

Do not worry if I have not listed your specific musculoskeletal problem (there exist a great many), or if you have not to date had a clear diagnosis. You are always welcome to telephone to discuss it.

Acupuncture has been found to provide relief from the pain of plantar fasciitis. Fifty-three patients were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture either at a point on the wrist traditionally considered to help heel pain, or as a control, at a point on the hand traditionally used for general pain relief. Treatment was given five times a week for two weeks. Both groups showed improvements, but the treatment group reported significantly greater reductions in morning pain, overall pain, and pressure pain threshold.

(Acupuncture Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial with Six Months Follow-up. Evidence Based Complementary & Alt Medicine Nov 2009.)

Researchers in Taiwan have found acupuncture to be as effective as steroids for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

Seventy-seven patients were randomly assigned to receive either prednisolone for four weeks (20mg daily for two weeks then 10mg daily for two weeks), or acupuncture delivered in eight sessions over four weeks. Both groups showed considerable improvement, with no statistically significant difference between the two, but at week four, the acupuncture group showed a significant decrease in night time waking.

(Acupuncture in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Clin Journal Pain 2009 May)