Shoulder Pain Treatment in Greenville, SC
Shoulder Pain Treatment in Greenville, SC. Root-cause acupuncture + functional medicine. Dr. Hendry, DAOM, NCBAHM-certified. Call (864) 365-6156.
"Having Cancer and the side effects of the Medicine has made it difficult with the Joint Pain. However by receiving the treatments it has made my outlook and pain tolerable with the help of Dr. Hendry. Highly recommend this practice."
— Margie Halley · April 2015 · Google Review
The patient who can't reach behind their back describes a completely different shoulder from the one who can't lift overhead without pain at the top of the arc. These movement patterns tell me where the dysfunction is before I even start the physical exam. Infraspinatus trigger points refer to the anterior shoulder in a pattern almost identical to subacromial bursitis — and they are the actual driver in a significant percentage of cases that get treated as bursitis indefinitely. I needle the rotator cuff specifically, not the shoulder in general.
How Shoulder Pain Treatment Works
Shoulder pain treatment involves local acupuncture (LI15, TH14, SJ14 for rotator cuff; GB21 for upper trapezius; SI9, SI10 for posterior capsule) combined with dry needling of specific rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor). For frozen shoulder, a progressive protocol addresses capsular adhesions and inflammatory cycling. Distal points (LI4, LI11, ST38) are used for immediate pain relief during active range-of-motion assessment.
Conditions Treated with Shoulder Pain Treatment
Rotator Cuff Needling Protocols vs. Subacromial Cortisone Injection for Shoulder Impingement
Subacromial cortisone injection is among the most performed orthopedic procedures worldwide, and its short-term analgesic effect for shoulder impingement syndrome is well-documented. The mechanism, corticosteroid suppression of inflammatory mediators in the subacromial space, provides rapid relief that allows earlier return to activity. However, repeat injections have been associated with progressive tendon degeneration and an increased risk of rotator cuff tears. The inflammatory response being suppressed is, in part, the repair response attempting to heal the tendinopathic tissue. Moerman and Jonas (Ann Intern Med, 2002) describe the body's organized repair response to injury as a biological process requiring inflammatory mediators for successful completion. Suppressing that response repeatedly impairs the collagen synthesis phase of tendon healing. Our needling protocols for shoulder impingement stimulate a controlled inflammatory response within the degenerated tendon tissue, recruiting fibroblasts and tenocytes for collagen synthesis while simultaneously deactivating the myofascial trigger points that contribute to abnormal scapular mechanics and impingement geometry. For patients with early to moderate rotator cuff tendinopathy, this regenerative approach produces durable structural improvement that cortisone alone does not provide.
Research & Evidence
Shoulder pain encompasses a spectrum from rotator cuff tendinopathy and subacromial impingement to acromioclavicular joint arthritis, biceps tendon pathology, and myofascial trigger points in the infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and subscapularis. The rotator cuff tendons are particularly vulnerable because of their relatively avascular zones, where repetitive microtrauma accumulates faster than the body's natural healing can repair. Trigger points within the infraspinatus refer pain into the anterior shoulder and arm in a pattern that closely mimics subacromial bursitis, leading to misdiagnosis in a significant proportion of cases. Dommerholt and Huijbregts (2011) document the infraspinatus as one of the most clinically significant trigger point muscles, with referral patterns extending to the neck, medial scapula, and arm. Our shoulder protocols use diagnostic needling to differentiate myofascial from structural sources, combining trigger point dry needling with acupuncture at local and distal points that modulate subacromial inflammation and promote tendon regeneration through a controlled, organized repair cascade.
Your First Appointment
Bring any shoulder MRI or ultrasound reports. Demonstrate your active range of motion — where exactly does pain occur in the arc of movement? History of acute injury vs. insidious onset vs. following illness is diagnostically important.
Why Dr. Hendry for Shoulder Pain Treatment
Dr. Hendry's trigger point expertise in the rotator cuff muscles — among the most clinically challenging muscles to needle accurately — is supported by his anatomy training and 25 years of clinical experience.