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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Musculoskeletal Pain
Many studies have shown the efficacy of
acupuncture for pain-related syndromes. People accept that acupuncture can help
pain, but mistakenly think that somehow it just masks the pain, or makes it go
away for a short period of time. In
actuality, acupuncture can help heal the root causes of physical pain and prevent further complications.
Injured muscles and tendons tighten in
response to untreated pain. As the muscles tighten, they exert pressure,
twisting and turning the supporting structures and creating further problems in
the body. Eventually, untreated injuries may cause the greatest discomfort
upstream or downstream from the original site, creating a confusing clinical
picture. Acupuncture and bodywork can treat multiple sites, helping to address
multiple manifestations of the injury. Once the tightened structures become
readjusted and more elastic, circulation is restored, and the tissues get more
oxygen, allowing metabolic wastes to flush away.
Why wait until an injury is chronic and
disabling? I've treated several men who will need knee-replacement surgery
because they delayed treatment for injuries. While the acupuncture was
effective for short periods of time, their injuries had progressed to the point
where the tissue was too damaged to be saved. However, men in otherwise good
health who come in before their symptoms become chronic often find they have
almost a full-range of motion restored, and a dramatic reduction of pain.
Sometimes it only takes one or two sessions.
I've treated back pain, rotor cuff
injuries, wrist pain, knee pain, tennis elbow and heel pain - with good results
in most cases.
Testimonials
“My elbow pain is 80% better [after one treatment]. I was able to be on a phone call on hold for 8 minutes, without pain. I stopped taking Advil completely [had been taking 800 mg Advil daily before]”- Brian Smith
"Gabrielle's treatment gave me a release from some chronic tendonitis that I've had for four years. By giving some breathing room to the afflicted area, she helped me have a breakthrough and win back some use of my hands that I hadn't had for a few months. This was in the space of one visit that I had while visiting Austin. I look forward to a time when I can visit Austin for a few weeks, and take a series of treatments with her. Imagine what I could do then!" -Chris Peck
" Thank you so much for my boyfriend's treatment. I don't think he has felt that stress free in months, and his back hasn't felt so good in years. I'll be sure to recommend you to friends." – Alexia Rose Apollo
"My lower back pain is much improved after a session with Gabrielle! I admit I was skeptical at first, but after my first session I was convinced this was helping! Also, I noticed that all the soreness and aching muscles from overdoing the yard work are gone if I have a Shiatsu massage (normally this would take days to go away)! I was never a massage person before, but now I am!" - Karen
"I received treatment from Gabrielle for plantar fascitis (heel pain). This morning I got up and set my foot on the floor and WALKED without limping, without whining. Usually I'm a big crybaby for the first hour or so every morning; it hurts so bad. Today, it has barely a twinge of pain. It's unbelievable how much better it feels after just one treatment. Thank you so much!" - Lori Carlson |
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Zen Shiatsu Bodywork
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Zen Shiatsu is a type of Asian bodywork. It differs from Western massage in that the precepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine are used, and acupoints are treated. In its essence a meditative therapy, Zen Shiatsu uses focused pressure, alternating with stretching, on selected meridian pathways. The entire body is worked on and patients do not disrobe. If the client has an area which is experiencing pain, I will treat that with heat, massage techniques, and the appropriate liniment, in addition to the Shiatsu.
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Choose Zen Shiatsu if
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You are afraid of needles.
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You feel achiness all over.
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You are more than three months pregnant .
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There is an emotional component to your pain.
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Trigger Point Therapy
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Trigger points are areas of muscular tension that feel like knots, and radiate pain to other areas. For instance, many tension headaches actually have their origins in trigger points on the trapezius muscles of the shoulder. When the trigger point is stimulated, the pain becomes more intense, but as the trigger point begins to relax, the pain goes away. Trigger point therapy is painstaking, but rewarding, work. Once the locus of the pain has been found, improvement usually follows rapidly. Trigger point therapy relies more on Western anatomy than on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, but choosing acupuncture points in conjunction complements trigger point therapy nicely. Needles, thumb pressure, and moxabustion can all be used in trigger point therapy, although needling is the most common means.
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Choose acupuncture with trigger point therapy if
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You are very athletic.
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You have a specific pain complaint to resolve.
- You enjoy only intense sports massage.
Prognosis
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Clients typically will feel reduction of the pain on the first treatment, although occasionally it will be worse for 24 hours.
On the average, the first time, clients achieve a reduction of 2 points on a pain scale of 1-10. For example, if your pain is a 6 before treatment it will be a 4 after treatment. Each treatment builds on the last treatment. Sometimes you will have to come in every three or four days to continue improvement. Many clients have significant improvement after 4 treatments.
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Factors that influence success of treatment
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Musculoskeletal disorders do not include soft tissue pain such as abdominal pain, or complex syndromes such as migraines. It is strongly suggested that you also take herbs for those types of conditons.
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People over 65, those weighing more than 30% of their recommended weight, and those with a chronic condition may need treatment for a long period of time to achieve results.
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If you are reliant on opiates to relieve your pain, have received multiple shots of cortisone into the affected area, or are on systemic steroids, your pain may respond only slightly the first several times.
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Body mechanics are important. Although I am not a physical therapist, I will often demonstrate a few exercises that will help. We may also discuss how certain activities, sleeping positions, and posture, contribute to your pain. Those recommendations are an important part of keeping you pain-free.
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