Acupuncture for Rotator Cuff Injuries
Can acupuncture treat rotator cuff injuries?
Yes! Acupuncture is a highly effective treatment for rotator cuff injuries. If you have injured your shoulder from overuse, from a fall, or from a sports injury, there is a good chance we can help. Acupuncture can help restore function, promote tissue healing, and relieve pain in the event of an injury or partial tear. A fully torn a rotator cuff muscle will require a surgical repair, but acupuncture is a great choice post-surgery for muscle rehabilitation.
What is the rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff is a collection of four muscles that stabilize and move the shoulder joint. They are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Because the shoulder joint has such a wide range of motion available to it, these muscles have a huge job to do and can easily get injured.
What rotator cuff problems can acupuncture treat?
At Seven Seeds Acupuncture, we have treated rotator cuff problems resulting from a wide variety of activities and accidents. Our rotator cuff patients have included rock climbers, softball and baseball players, desk job workers, knitters, young athletes, mothers, and elders. We have treated people who hurt their shoulder falling on an outstretched hand and people who wrenched their shoulder when they slipped going down the stairs and grabbed onto the bannister. You can overuse or injure your rotator cuff in so many ways, whether during intense sports or relaxing on the couch knitting a sweater!
How many acupuncture treatments will I need for my rotator cuff injury?
When you come in for your initial appointment, we will do a full evaluation on your shoulder to discover the source of your shoulder pain and dysfunction. Many patients notice a dramatic reduction within the first few acupuncture treatments, but the number of session required to fully restore function and alleviate pain can vary greatly according to your age, the health of your tissues, the severity of the injury or condition, and the length of time you have been dealing with the pain.
Why choose Seven Seeds Acupuncture to treat my rotator cuff problem?
We have in-depth sports medicine acupuncture training that makes us qualified and well-equipped to diagnose and treat your rotator cuff problem. Our treatments are non-invasive, painless, and highly effective for rotator cuff injuries and shoulder pain.
Do you do dry needling?
The simple answer is yes. Acupuncturists have been performing the technique now widely known as “dry needling” for thousands of years. It is a subset of acupuncture. Acupuncturists use needles to regulate function in the body, including muscle function, nerve function, brain-body communication, organ function, and more. Muscular needling is a basic part of an acupuncturist’s repertoire. When an acupuncturist does “dry needling,” it is simply called acupuncture. We may also call it sports acupuncture, orthopedic acupuncture, or “ashi” needling which translates roughly to “Ah yes! That’s the spot!” At Seven Seeds Acupuncture, we often add microcurrent to the needles to facilitate tissue healing and routinely end a treatment for the rotator cuff with manual therapy like cupping or guasha.
