Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a painful condition typically characterised by pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint.

While the triggers which cause this debilitating inflammatory condition remain uncertain, its characteristic pain and stiffness can make simple daily tasks such as dressing, using a hair dryer, changing gears in the car or reaching for your cup of coffee impossible.

The condition can be serious and tends to get worse over time without treatment as collagen and adhesions build up and the shoulder joint becomes fibrotic leading to pain and restricted movement which can last up to 4 years.

How can we help at Ben&Biao?

We use a combination of acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, manual release therapies and massage in order to stimulate the breakdown of adhesions and to stimulate the body to break down the excessive collagen which has built up in the joint capsule.

If you would like to know more about how we may be able to help, please contact us  or book an appointment online.

In Australia more than 450,000 people are living with vision impairment or blindness (1) . About 1 in 7 Australians over the age of 50 have some evidence of macular degeneration (2) and, if you have diabetes there is a risk of diabetic retinopathy which increases the longer you have the disease. Of the 1.2 million Australians that have diagnosed (known) diabetes there is an estimated 500,000 with undiagnosed diabetes. Of these, over 300,000 (between 25-35%) have some degree of diabetic retinopathy and about 65,000 have progressed to sight-threatening eye disease. (3)

All these numbers are projected to increase. It is likely that you or someone you know will be affected by a degenerative eye disease. Research conducted in China and Denmark has shown that acupuncture may be a viable treatment that provides relief from these conditions.

​About Vision Acupuncture Treatments.

At ben&biao Heidi Dunn has completed additional and specialist training in vision acupuncture and integrative vision. This includes postgraduate studies with:

Dr Rosenfarb’s Acuvision’s Ophthalmic Acupuncture protocols. (4)

Dr Marc Grossman’s integrative approach to vision care (5)

Incorporating Acunova protocols for vision (6)

For the thousands of patients with eye diseases who have received this form of acupuncture and integrative care treatment, many, depending on the type of eye disease,  respond to treatment.

What is involved?

• Acupuncture
• Internal Supplementation
• Lifestyle Advice

Acupuncture

Acupuncture for vision is an intensive treatment and you will come in initially for a consultation to determine if the vision protocol treatment is right for you.

The acupuncture protocol requires 2 needling treatments a day for 10 days over the course of two weeks.  Details of the procedure will be explained during consultation.

The evidence for acupuncture

An increase in the blood flow to the eyes, decrease in oxidative stress plus neurological stimulation when the appropriate acupuncture points are used. Detailed below are studies where acupuncture has been successfully used.

Internal supplementation 

Most eye conditions have oxidative stress and cellular degeneration as part of the health picture and patients may improve vision parameters with supplementation of certain vitamins and / or Chinese medicinal herbal formulas. The formulae used are individualised but are based on treatment protocols that have been used successfully used.

Lifestyle advice

Diet, sleep and exercise play an important role in minimising vision degeneration and these are discussed and advice given based on current evidence, during the consultations.

​Testing

We suggest you visit your eye doctor just prior to commencement of treatment for baseline vision evaluation. Testing should be repeated a week after the course of treatments has completed. Our patients also find eyesight continues to improve for several weeks after the treatment and then stabilise.

If you would like to know more book an initial consultation with Heidi Dunn click here

 

Research into Acupuncture for Vision 

A pilot study of an acupuncture protocol to improve visual function in retinitis pigmentosa patients; 2014, May, Ava Bittner, Jeffrey Gould, Andy Rosenfarb, Collin Rozanski, Gislin Dagnelie.

In this prospective pilot study, 12 RP adult patients were given 10 treatments over a two week period.  Six of 12 subjects had measurable, significant visual function improvements after treatment. Three of nine subjects tested with the FST had a significant 10.3 to 17.5 dB (that is, 13- to 53-fold) improvement in both eyes at one week after acupuncture, maintained for at least 10 to 12 months,

Micro Acupuncture Treatment of Macular Degeneration.  Gail Brent, L.Ac., San Diego, CA; Heidi Day, L.Ac., Edmonds, WA; Andrew Rosenfarb, MTOM, Dipl. Ac., Dipl. C.H., Westfield, NJ; Mats Sexton L. Ac., St. Louis Park, MN. August, 2004

In initial clinical trials, eighty-six patients diagnosed with Macular Degeneration were treated with Micro Acupuncture. A procedure involving 48 newly discovered acupuncture points located in the hands and feet, and not associated with any other acupuncture system. Five to six Micro Acupuncture treatments were administered, followed by a re-examination using the Perimetry Octopuss 1-2-3 visual field scanner, as well as a standard visual acuity test. Of the eighty-six patients treated, seventy-nine (92%) had shown significant improvement while seven had very little or no improvement. The study indicates that Micro Acupuncture is significantly effective in the treatment of Macular Degeneration.

An Acupuncture Protocol For Treatment Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Second Report, 2005. – Alston C. Lundgren, MD.

Of 108 patients treated by acupuncture for AMD disease, 69% of patients improved in distant vision and 69% improved in near vision. Patients with both wet and dry forms of AMD benefited equally. Half of patients had subjective vision improvement, 33% of patients gained more than 2 lines on EDTRS charts, 20% reported lessening or disappearance of scotomas, and 7% of patients noted improved colour vision.

1. https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/eye-health
2. https://www.mdfoundation.com.au/content/what-is-macular-degeneration
3. https://www.mdfoundation.com.au/content/diabetic-retinopathy-about
4. Dr Andy Rosenfarb  (USA), internationally recognised author, researcher and authority on Chinese Medical Ophthalmology and Integrative Vision Care. He has completed several studies on retinosa pigmentosa, macular degeneration
5. Dr Grossman (USA) is an authority on natural eye care and Chinese medical Opthalmology. He is co-founder of ‘NaturalEyeCare.com which was set up in 1999, He is an international lecturer, Author of multiple books including the recent ‘Natural Eye care, your guide to Healthy eyes and healing’ published  in 2019.
6. Acunova is a style of acupuncture used by J Boel and widely used in Denmark for the treatment of vision disorders  see https://boel-akupunktur.com/en/eye-diseases/ for more details.

This month we have been inundated with shoulder and neck problems. So we thought it would be a good time to do a blog and video (yes we’ve gone live!) on this.

According to population surveys shoulder pain effects 18-26% of adults at any point in time. That’s approximately 1 in 5 people reading this!

What causes Shoulder and Neck Pain?

Shoulder and neck problems are generally caused by one of the following or a combination of them:

• Computer work
• Posture
• Looking and working on phones
• Stress
• Sport
• Car accident or other traumas or old injuries

It used to be that trauma and old injuries were the most common reason for pain to the shoulder and neck however, while they are still relevant, today work and lifestyle environments are far more common causes.

The average adult head weighs 8 kilos.  It is connected to the rest of the body by just 7 vertebrae. To maintain it’s upright position there is lots of scaffolding! Muscles to the back, Muscles to the front, Muscles to the side. It is these muscles that give the head is flexibility to turn side to side and, look up and down.

Is technology the cause?

Ideally we should use all the head and neck muscles about the same so that no one muscle overrides any of the others. However, every time you look down at the phone or ipad it is the muscles at the side and back of your neck and those attached to your back and pecs that take the strain.  The ones that are at the front start to get weaker.

Over time this dominance becomes a problem to the body. The muscles at the back and side having been stretched start to lose their elasticity. They put pressure on other muscles that they are attached to or are close by. The muscles involved may actually start to scar and will of course start to ache and give that throbbing pain.

In computer work the body is also looking down but there is additional strain through the repetition of the fingers and forearms. These muscles are overworked and cause stagnation and tightness in the upper arms and shoulders.

Stress

Why is it that stress causes back ache?

Stress from work or life presents physically as tension in the body. As we feel we are under attack the body starts to tighten the muscles ready for fight and flight. If you have long term stress it is quite common for this tension to manifest around the back, neck and shoulders.

Posture

Sitting down for long periods of time causes bad posture. The abdominals weaken which are crucial to a stable mid and upper back.  It’s like a building, the foundations aren’t strong so the upper floors strain and buckle.

Referred Pain

There is also the referred pain. Often people are carrying pain elsewhere in the arms such as the biceps and forearms. Have a feel…is anything feeling a bit sore or tight? As the upper muscles tighten it is not uncommon for the nerves to become sensitised and give a referred pain further down the line.

WHAT TO DO AND WHEN?

There is the painful stage and the managing stage.

During the painful stage the most crucial aspect is to relax the muscles and turn down the pain receptors.

A great way to do this is through acupuncture.

At ben&biao we use a specific type of acupuncture technique called motor point (not trigger point) activation to specifically target a muscle group and using an electrical device we stimulate each overworked muscle group. In shoulders and neck problems these are muscles such as

• Trapezius
• Levator scapulae
• Scalenes
• Deltoids

This is more effective than massage because the very fine needles can access the deeper muscle groups that are affected and when we stimulate the muscles with acupuncture there are several benefits to this technique of relaxing the muscles:

• The technique is quick – no need to pound away at the sore/tight area.
• We restore the elasticity to the muscle, you will feel it soften and relax
• This takes the strain off the affected joints/bones and eases related pain
• Strength returns to the muscle when it can fire correctly
• It helps to restore the brain-muscle connection and reminds the brain that weak or overstretched muscles are still available to be fired when moving the body – eg firing glutes when running or taking the stairs, not just hamstrings or quads.

Once the muscles that are a problem are determined and activated the treatment itself only takes about 30-45 minutes. Most people feel some immediately relief.  Follow ups will depend on the individual and each presentation but generally 2-3 treatments will get you back on track.

During the management stage you need to do some homework to maintain the newly released muscles and to minimize a recurrence of your problems

Management :

• Manage your posture: Yes, everyone is on computers ! it’s unavoidable ! BUT are you taking ‘time out’ to move away from your screen? Is your desk set up optimal to promote good posture?
• Stretching. This is so important. You can do everything else here but if you don’t stretch your muscles will lose the elasticity and tighten.
• Keep the core strong. Those abdominals are the foundation for all the others. Invest in exercise such as pilates or work with a specialist that can identify your weak muscle groups and help you adopt correcting exercises.
• Book yourself in for acupuncture once every 6 weeks to keep on top of muscle tension if you feel everything else might slide.

Prevention is better than cure

If you have shoulder and neck issues book call to find out how we can help or Book an appointment with Sally or Bree now for a treatment.