Conditions
Acupuncture for shoulder pain, with Dr. Peter Caron.
Most people I see for shoulder pain have had physical therapy or a cortisone shot, and the pain came back. The rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles have usually stopped working together. I get them working again.
Why it hasn’t gotten better
Most shoulders lose their rhythm before they lose their range.
It often starts with tennis, or a heavy bag carried on one side for years. The rotator cuff gets irritated, and you start lifting the arm differently to avoid the pinch. The muscles around your shoulder blade pick up the slack.
The shoulder aches more at night and after you’ve held still. It loosens once you’ve moved it for a while. That pattern usually responds well.
When to see a physician first
See a physician first after a fall that left you unable to lift the arm. The same goes for a shoulder that looks out of place, or a hot, swollen joint with a fever. Tell me on the call, and I’ll point you to the right physician. Left shoulder or arm pain with chest pressure or shortness of breath is an emergency, so call 911.
What it feels like
What people describe when they first call.
- An ache on the outside of the upper arm, below where the shoulder actually is
- Pain when you reach up to a high shelf or back for a seatbelt
- Lying on that side wakes you up
- You can’t reach behind your back to tuck in a shirt
- A shoulder that gets stiffer every month, in every direction
- Tightness along the top of the shoulder blade after a day at the laptop
If you recognized yourself in that list, the free 15-minute call is the place to start.
How I treat it
The shoulder is rarely the only place I needle.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture calms the pain signals from the irritated rotator cuff and wakes up the muscles that steady the shoulder blade, so the arm can lift without the pinch.
I test how your arm lifts, then find the rotator cuff points that reproduce your pain. Fine needles go there, usually with light electrical stimulation.
- Motor-point stimulation
- Trigger point release
- Movement testing
- Referral mapping
Herbal medicine
An herbal formula helps bring down the inflammation around the joint, including the ache that wakes you at night.
If the shoulder keeps flaring, or has stiffened with no injury, I look at the wider pattern. A formula matched to that pattern works on it between visits.
- Herbal formula
- Constitutional support
Most shoulders change within four to six visits. A frozen shoulder takes longer.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell whether I can help.
Your first visit
What happens the first time you come in.
- We go through the history When it started, which movements hurt, how you’re sleeping, and what you’ve already tried, including injections, imaging, and physical therapy.
- I test how the arm moves I watch you lift, reach, and rotate, then press along the rotator cuff and shoulder blade to find the points that reproduce your pain.
- You’re treated the same day Fine needles at those points, usually with light electrical stimulation. Many people can lift the arm a little higher before they get off the table.
- You leave with a plan Roughly how many visits it should take, and what should have changed by the third one.
What to expect
How it usually goes, visit by visit.
I test how high your arm lifts at every visit, so you’ll know early if it’s working.
- Visits 1–2 The pinch at the top of the lift starts to ease, and night pain often settles before daytime pain does.
- Visits 3–6 The arm reaches higher and further behind you. The ache comes back later and lighter between visits.
- After that We space visits out to keep it there. If nothing has changed by the sixth visit, I’ll say so and suggest what to try next, including a referral back to an orthopedist.
Typical ranges, not promises. Results vary from person to person.
You’ll know at the first visit roughly how many visits it should take.
What the research shows
In a trial of 424 patients, 65% had their shoulder pain cut at least in half, compared with 24% after sham needling.
German researchers studied 424 people with chronic shoulder pain. Three months after treatment, 65% of the acupuncture group had their pain cut at least in half. That compared with 24% after sham needling and 37% with standard care.
A 2017 UK trial found that adding acupuncture to exercise did no better than exercise alone. My reading is that acupuncture helps the pain and movement, and the exercises are still worth doing.
Questions
What people ask about shoulder pain.
Something not covered here? Ask on the free discovery call.
Very little for most people. You may feel a dull ache or a twitch at a tight muscle. Many people can lift the arm higher before they leave.
Most shoulders change within four to six visits. Night pain often settles first. A frozen shoulder takes longer, and I’ll tell you at the first visit if that’s what you have.
It can ease the pain and help you keep your range while it runs its course. That often takes a year or more. The research is thinner than for other shoulder pain.
No. I test how your arm moves, and if you’ve had a scan, bring the report. If it sounds like a tear that needs a surgeon, I’ll tell you before we book.
Yes. Needling helps the shoulder blade muscles fire properly again. The exercises then rebuild the strength that keeps the shoulder from flaring.
Only through out-of-network benefits, since we don’t bill insurance. After each visit we can send you a superbill to submit. Check with your plan before your first visit.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on the call. It’s free and takes fifteen minutes.
Related conditions
Often treated alongside this one.
Lower back pain
For the ache that’s worst when you first get up.
Neck pain
For a neck that won’t turn all the way.
Tennis & golfer’s elbow
For elbow pain that flares when you grip or lift.
Start here
Tell me where it hurts.
Describe the pain and how long you’ve had it. In a few minutes you’ll know whether I can help, and roughly how many visits it should take.
If you already know you want to come in, book an initial visit.