Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain, Better Than Physical Therapy

A little more than ten years ago, I first visited Dr. Feng Liang, of the Fifth Avenue Acupuncture & Herbs Center, who treated me with acupuncture for shoulder pain. The pain was caused by a combination of a very awkward style of tennis serve and sleeping with my shoulder jammed up against a hard pillow. Before seeing Dr. Liang, I had an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon. I could no longer take the pain I was having in my shoulder and needed relief. The Orthopedic Surgeon gave me an X-Ray and MRI. After not seeing anything noticeable in both results, he gave me a Cortisone shot. For those who have never had a Cortisone shot, you get immediate relief from the shot. However, within approximately 45 minutes, the pain that you first had returns, and it returns with twice as much intensity. The Orthopedic Surgeon then referred me to a physical therapist and told me that I would probably need six months of physical therapy. I was not happy to hear this!

Aren’t You Sick and Tired of Your Hypothyroidism?

Anyone who has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism will tell you that they generally feel tired all the time. This is one of the primary symptoms of this disease. Synthroid, the medication prescribed for most people, is intended to offset the thyroid hormone that the thyroid no longer produces and to bring your energy levels somewhat back to normal. After the Synthroid dosage is tweaked by a doctor, patients are supposed to feel much better and feel somewhat energetic. The problem Is that even though Synthroid initially makes people feel a little more energetic, eventually, people who have hypothyroidism eventually start to feel sick and tired.

Does Your Doctor Take The Time to Discuss Health Issues with You?

One of the biggest complaints people make about their doctors is that they have to sit in a waiting room for 1-2 hours and then once they finally see their doctor, they feel like he/she doesn’t spend much time with them. Unfortunately, the reality is that most doctors are so overbooked, that they cannot afford to spend more than a few minutes with their patients and have that doctor patient relationship that once existed. Is this the doctor’s fault for overbooking? Is this a mismanagement of time? Is this due to an overzealous office manager who books as many patients as possible? All of these are possibilities. However, you, the person who goes to his/her doctor to discuss their health issues and concerns, is not being given sufficient time to discuss these concerns and issues.