When a person complains of tenderness and pain near any joints in the body, the causes could be muscle sprain, bone problems, nerve inflammation or tendonitis. Some people will complain of swelling, tingling, numbness and even stiffness. For muscle and tendon problems, the pain will be worse when a person moves into a certain position, or when they stay in a position for too long when the muscles and tendons get very stiff. Tendonitis can affect the wrist or hands, elbow, knee, heel or shoulder. There is no properly explained reason for the cause of this ailment, but in most cases the reason could be due to the tendon being overused, strained or in continuous trauma. An orthopedic specialist can certainly offer treatment to relieve pain, but scar tissue can limit range of motion and sometimes can lead to a chronic pain condition such as CRPS. Using acupuncture to treat a muscle sprain is the most effective way. As for tendonitis, it takes a longer time to restore the function of tendons because there is not a lot of blood supply to the tendons. As for the pain related to nerve and bone inflammation, it takes an even longer time to get rid of that pain.

Professionals who commonly suffer from Tendonitis
Tendonitis affects people who work for long hours on the computer, musicians, massage therapists, car mechanics or hair dressers. The actions done by people in these professions are repetitive and this will in turn cause trauma to the joints and tendons. With the help of acupuncture, the pain threshold can be increased by strengthening the parasympathetic nervous system and this helps to decrease one’s sensitivity to pain. Acupuncture also helps in reducing inflammation which occurs in tendonitis. Boston Chinese acupuncture clinic has been using electro-acupuncture to treat different kind of tendonitis such as tennis elbow, Achilles problems and frozen shoulder for many years. Electro acupuncture not only can quickly reduce the swelling of the tendons, but also can relax or strengthen the tendons. Especially after surgery, breaking up the scar tissue can quickly restore normal function of the tendons. Boston Chinese acupuncturists will choose different intensities and frequencies to relax the tendons or strengthen the tendons.

Acupuncture can heal many Ailments
Tendonitis can be treated with acupuncture and herbs quite effectively when the ailment has just set in. For those who are suffering from a chronic condition it will take longer to be effective. Acupuncture needles are inserted into local acupuncture points around the tendons and remote points along the specific meridians, which will help to improve the circulation of blood as well as the energy qi which is the basis on which acupuncture works. Acupuncture is all about the flow of energy qi. Even after the ailment is healed it is important to exercise well, maintain a good diet as well as periodic acupuncture sessions which will help prevent the recurrence of tendonitis. Using acupuncture for tendonitis will take a longer time to heal tendonitis, but patients can avoid chronic pain, motion range limitations and more than 3 months of sick leave.

Acupuncture is a Safer Option Sometimes
Tendonitis can be healed with acupuncture, when some amount of exercise is done regularly along with the treatment. The lifestyle that all of us lead today is the main cause of a lot of ailments such as back pain, sciatica, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, TMJ, depression and anxiety. Pain and discomfort are part and parcel of our lives as a result. Pain killers can relieve pain from tendonitis temporarily, but cannot improve the function of the tendons and joints. If you want to be healthy and happy when you reach 90 years old, acupuncture can help you achieve this goal in a reasonable period of the time.

Author's Bio: 

Li Zheng is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist and a graduate of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine with 11 years of formal training, including 6 years of residency. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the US and is a Harvard Medical School-trained researcher and a professor at the New England School of Acupuncture. Her two practices are located in Needham, MA and Boca Raton, FL. She has 26 years of clinical experience. Here she is sharing the information about Tendonitis and Acupuncture.