Tag Archive for: leg pain

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Heal Your Shin Splints With Acupuncture (Anoka Pain and Women’s Health)

Get Back on Track (or Trail) With Acupuncture in Anoka!

What are Shin Splints?

Shin Splints are small muscle tears at the shin bone attachment, causing pain in front of the lower legs.

Signs and Symptoms of Shin Splints:

  • Shin Pain
  • Usually affects Both Legs
  • Better with Rest, Ice and Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Pain on one or both sides of the shin bone. Pain is usually bilateral (in both legs). Pain gets better with resting, icing and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. If these do not temporarily help, it may be time to call a doctor.

Other runners injuries include Runner’s Knee and ITB  Syndrome.

Causes of Shin Splints:

  • Overuse/ Repetitive Stress Injury
  • Running Too Much 
  • Running before Shin Muscles Heal

Shin Splints is usually caused by increasing one’s running distance too quickly. It is considered an Overuse Injury or Repetitive Stress Injury for this reason. Often times  gung-ho, newby runners get caught up in the excitement and euphoria of all of those endorphins flooding the system and think they can run as much as they want! I admit, this was me when I went from NO running to 8 miles and I paid dearly in pain and suffering for it as a teenager on the track team. I also developed Runner’s Knee and had to find the proper shoes for my individual running gait. Perhaps a future post is needed on this?

How to Help Runner’s Knee?

Unfortunately then I did not know about how acupuncture could quicken my recovery time. The athletic PT at the time recommended over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/ pain reducers every four hours for a twenty-four hour period along with icing my shins prior to a big race. Of course, once I got on the track and started running, the endorphins kicked in and would override any pain signals my body was trying to send.

This caused further damage and prolonged the healing time considerably. How do you think I felt once the pain meds wore off? OUCH! Not to mention, any runner can atest to the pain of not being able to run! This can be down-right depressing to a runner. Like no oxygen.

 

Tips:

  • Stretch!
  • Pain Means Stop Running
  • Wear Proper Running Shoes
  • Increase Running <10% Each Week
  • Take a Day off From Running Each Week
  • Add Cross Training to Balance Strength in all Muscle Groups

Avoid overuse running injury by never increasing your running mileage by more than 10% each week. Including Cross Training every week can help avoid over-stressing and thereby weakening the same muscles (and eventually tendons) over and over and focusing on other muscle groups than what your body is used to allows some groups a recovery time to rest. Remember, if staying on the trail is your goal, balancing your body is key. Nobody wants to be stuck icing and resting on the perfect day!

 

Thanks for Reading!

Written by Aleesha D Ackerman, LAc

Aleesha Ackerman is a certified and state licensed acupuncturist with a Master’s degree in acupuncture. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hamline University. Aleesha owns and operates Aleesha D Acupuncture clinic for Pain and Women’s Health in Anoka, MN.

She became interested in acupuncture and holistic medicine when acupuncture cured her of debilitating migraine pain after an auto collision with a semi-truck. Aleesha specializes in treating Pain such as Migraine headaches and Back Pain and Women’s Health. Women come to her everyday with issues such as hot flashes, mood imbalance, low energy and low libido.

 Read more about Aleesha and what she specializes in Here.

 

Aleesha treats Chronic Pain and Women’s Health successfully by treating the root cause and by treating the whole individual.

Why wait? Start Your Relief Today- contact Aleesha D Acupuncture in Anoka today to schedule your acupuncture appointment!

Feel Better, Move Forward

Anoka Acupuncture with Aleesha D Ackerman

Aleesha D Acupuncture is located in historic downtown Anoka at 207 East Main Street close to Andover, MN.

DISCLAIMER

This article is not intended to replace any health care. No information on this site should be relied on to determine medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. As with any health concerns, always be sure to consult your health care provider with any health concerns.

Licensed Acupuncturist in Anoka Serving Andover, Anoka, Big Lake, Champlin, Circle Pines, Columbus, Coon Rapids, Dayton, East Bethel, Elk River, Forest Lake, Fridley, Ham Lake, Isanti, Lino Lakes, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Now Then, Oak Grove, Osseo, Ostego, Ramsey, Saint Francis, Saint Paul, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake.

Zip codes we treat: 55304, 55303, 55309, 55014, 55316, 55433, 55448, 55327, 55330, 55432, 55040, 55401, 55402, 55403, 55404, 55406, 55407, 55408, 55409, 55410, 55411, 55412, 55413, 55416, 55418, 55419, 55421, 55422, 55011, 55311, 55369, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55105, 55106, 55107, 55108, 55101, 55109, 55110, 55111, 55113, 55114, 55116, 55117, 55120, 55124, 55125, 55115, 55118, 55119, 55121, 55122, 55123, 55126, 55129, 55130, 55146, 55127, 55128, 55133, 55144, 55145, 55155, 55164, 55165, 55166, 55166, 55168, 55170, 55175, 55187, 55188, 55171, 55172, 55014, 55025, 55371, 55398, 55308, 55960

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How E-Stimulation with Acupuncture Works (Anoka Pain and Women’s Health)

How Does E-Stim Work with Acupuncture to Decrease Pain and Numbness/ Tingling Sensation?

At a patient’s request, I decided to answer the question of HOW e-stim works with acupuncture on today’s post.

 

Later, we can answer the Question, “Should I Get E-stim?”…

 

How E-stimulation Therapy Works…

E-stimulation uses electrical current to cause effect on the tissue being treated.

 

Often a person’s first experience with e-stim is a TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation) unit is with a physical therapist who uses it with pads instead of needles.

 

To ensure your safety, be sure to always get acupuncture from a LICENSED acupuncturist, just as you would bring your car to a mechanic and your child to a licensed care provider.  

 

E-stim Action:

  • Stimulating the Muscles to Contract
  • Stimulating Nerves 
  • Increasing blood flow circulation 
  • Lowering inflammation
  • Decreasing Pain
  • Decreasing Spasticity
  • Activate Brainstem & Spinal Cord

-Stimulating nerves acts to decrease pain or to “wake up” the sensation of numbness, usually in extremities.

-Increasing blood flow/ circulation speeds up the healing process.

 

Other Issues E-stim Treats:

How Acupuncture Can Help TBI Patients

Increasing blood circulation by using e-stimulation with acupuncture helps speed up healing time and lower inflammation.

E-stim for Acute (early onset) Trauma:

E-stim lowers pain & swelling caused by the body trying to repair itself. Sometimes the body gets in its own way of healing when the swelling and inflammation lasts too long, causing pain and discomfort. 

 

E-stim works by stimulating larger nerve fibers to override the smaller nerve fibers which are producing the pain. The “Gate” theory is often used to explain how this pain inhibition works, though it is over-simplified for the complexity of how pain and pain blocking actually works.

 

E-stim for Severe, Chronic Pain:

E-stim works on Severe, Chronic pain by…

  • Activating Central Nervous System (CNS) 
  • Activating beta-Endorphins (Analgesic/ Pain-relieving effect)
  • Activating Enkephalins & Orpahnins (Endorphins which Bind to Opioid receptors to reduce pain/ stress)

 

Tips:

  1. Avoid the Exercise or Activity that aggravates the pain for a few days and rest.
  2. See a doctor anytime you feel Pain which is Severe with Sudden onset.
  3. Avoid E-stim if Pregnant or have an implantable device such as a pacemaker (your practitioner should do a complete medical intake to avoid contraindications of treatment).

So, Should You Get E-stim?…

Now, You Can Find Out About the Why/ Where/ When/ Who & What of E-stim with Acupuncture Here!

 

Thanks for reading!

Aleesha Ackerman is a certified and state licensed acupuncturist with a Master’s degree in acupuncture. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hamline University. Aleesha owns and operates Aleesha D Acupuncture clinic for Pain and Women’s Health in Anoka, MN.

She became interested in acupuncture and holistic medicine when acupuncture cured her of debilitating migraine pain after an auto collision with a semi-truck. Aleesha specializes in treating Pain and Women’s Health. Women come to her everyday with issues such as hot flashes, mood imbalance, low energy and low libido.

 Read more about Aleesha and what she specializes in Here.

 

Aleesha treats Chronic Pain and Women’s Health successfully by treating the root cause and by treating the whole individual.

Why wait? Start Your Relief Today- contact Aleesha D Acupuncture in Anoka today to schedule your acupuncture appointment!

Feel Better, Move Forward

Aleesha D Acupuncture is located in historic downtown Anoka at 207 East Main Street close to Andover, MN.

 

DISCLAIMER

This article is not intended to replace any health care. No information on this site should be relied on to determine medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. As with any health concerns, always be sure to consult your health care provider with any health concerns.

Licensed Acupuncturist in Anoka Serving Andover, Anoka, Big Lake, Champlin, Circle Pines, Columbus, Coon Rapids, Dayton, East Bethel, Elk River, Forest Lake, Fridley, Ham Lake, Isanti, Lino Lakes, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Now Then, Oak Grove, Osseo, Ostego, Ramsey, Saint Francis, Saint Paul, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake.

Zip codes we treat: 55304, 55303, 55309, 55014, 55316, 55433, 55448, 55327, 55330, 55432, 55040, 55401, 55402, 55403, 55404, 55406, 55407, 55408, 55409, 55410, 55411, 55412, 55413, 55416, 55418, 55419, 55421, 55422, 55011, 55311, 55369, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55105, 55106, 55107, 55108, 55101, 55109, 55110, 55111, 55113, 55114, 55116, 55117, 55120, 55124, 55125, 55115, 55118, 55119, 55121, 55122, 55123, 55126, 55129, 55130, 55146, 55127, 55128, 55133, 55144, 55145, 55155, 55164, 55165, 55166, 55166, 55168, 55170, 55175, 55187, 55188, 55171, 55172, 55014, 55025, 55371, 55398, 55308, 55960

 

 

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Acupuncture for Sciatica Back Pain (Pain and Women’s Health in Anoka)?

Is This Sciatica Pain?

Sciatic pain is usually unilateral pain or pain felt on one side only. Sciatic pain involves low back pain and can start in the low back, sacrum and buttocks, traveling from there to the front, side or back of the leg. From there the pain can travel all the way down to the ankle. Sciatic pain can also include numbness or pins and needles sensation.

  • Difficulty getting in/out of vehicle (May need to lift one leg)
  • Worse with sitting too long
  • Worse with standing stationary

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica refers to the back pain, leg pain and hip pain felt on one side which is caused by the Sciatic nerve which becomes inflamed. Inflammation in the sciatic nerve usually starts after trauma to the body, such as a fall, incorrectly lifting or twisting, extra weight of pregnancy or after surgery. Sciatica basically involves nerve entrapment whereby the inflammation around the nerve causes less room for the nerve to move freely within the muscle and the nerve ultimately becomes entrapped.

 

What Else Causes Sciatica?

  • Herniated disc
  • Sedentary lifestyle (sitting too long)
  • Diabetes

 

Can Acupuncture Help Sciatic Pain?

Yes, acupuncture is very good at treating and resolving back pain, hip pain and leg pain and numbness due to sciatica.

In fact, the National Institute of Health (N.I.H.) recognizes that acupuncture treats sciatic pain and back pain.

Why wait? Start Your Relief Today- contact Aleesha D Acupuncture in Anoka today to schedule your acupuncture appointment!

 

How many Acupuncture treatments are needed for Sciatic Pain?

As with any main complaint, the severity and how long the pain has been going on will determine how many treatments of acupuncture will resolve sciatic pain. Typically, the longer or more chronic something is, the more treatments it will take. Acute or more recent onset usually resolves in less treatments.

On average, acute (recent) issues resolve within 4-6 acupuncture treatments. Chronic (longer-standing) issues may take more treatments.

 

How soon will I notice results with Acupuncture?

You should see significant improvement in sciatic pain within 3-4 treatments of acupuncture.

 

When to see a Doctor

  • Loss of bowel or bladder function!
  • Weakness or lack of sensation
  • Pain or numbness after trauma

 

Great Yoga Pose for Sciatica…

  • Fire Log
  • Bridge Pose
  • Pigeon

Fire Log is a great sitting yoga stretch for Sciatica pain and Piriformis Syndrome that opens-up the hips and tight piriformis muscles (where sciatic nerve is often entrapped).

Pigeon is also great for tight hip flexors.

Bridge pose is also good for keeping the back strengthened and keeping glutes lifted.

 

Acupuncture is a useful medical treatment for low back pain and numbness due to Sciatica.

Call 763-762-7142 or Schedule online with Aleesha D Acupuncture in Anoka.

Written by Aleesha Ackerman, LAc

Aleesha is a licensed acupuncturist. She owns and operates Aleesha D Acupuncture in Anoka, MN. She holds a Master’s degree in Acupuncture. Aleesha was first turned on to acupuncture due to her chronic, debilitating migraine headaches following an auto accident with a semi-truck during high school. Read more about Aleesha D Ackerman, LAc.

Aleesha D Ackerman, LAc specializes in treating Pain, Headaches, Anxiety, Low energy, Low mood, Digestion issues and Women’s health, including helping the body with balancing hormones during Menopause and Perimenopause to relieve hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, and PMS.

DISCLAIMER

This article is not intended to replace any health care. No information on this site should be relied on to determine medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. As with any health concerns, always be sure to consult your health care provider with any health concerns.

Licensed Acupuncturist in Anoka Serving Andover, Anoka, Big Lake, Champlin, Circle Pines, Columbus, Coon Rapids, Dayton, East Bethel, Elk River, Forest Lake, Fridley, Ham Lake, Isanti, Lino Lakes, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Now Then, Oak Grove, Osseo, Ostego, Ramsey, Saint Francis, Saint Paul, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake.

Zip codes we treat: 55304, 55303, 55309, 55014, 55316, 55433, 55448, 55327, 55330, 55432, 55040, 55401, 55402, 55403, 55404, 55406, 55407, 55408, 55409, 55410, 55411, 55412, 55413, 55416, 55418, 55419, 55421, 55422, 55011, 55311, 55369, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55105, 55106, 55107, 55108, 55101, 55109, 55110, 55111, 55113, 55114, 55116, 55117, 55120, 55124, 55125, 55115, 55118, 55119, 55121, 55122, 55123, 55126, 55129, 55130, 55146, 55127, 55128, 55133, 55144, 55145, 55155, 55164, 55165, 55166, 55166, 55168, 55170, 55175, 55187, 55188, 55171, 55172, 55014, 55025, 55371, 55398, 55308, 55960

Serving Anoka County, the north metro, Minneapolis, St Paul, and the Twin Cities area.

 

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