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Suggest Treatment For Stiffness In The Shoulders Of An Elderly Person
Question: Greetings again Dr.Taka,
Your information has been very useful and we have followed steps to make sure my grandmother didn't have issues with stroke or Any signs of cysts. It is still undetermined how the spasms began, however they seem to be subsiding. My family's unprofessional consensus is that the spasms may have originated from overbearing strain on her body from a high frequency of medical procedures and intense medication. I asked my country doctor about the possibility that extreme stress ,both mental and physical ( from extreme sleep deprivation and medication) could have a role to play in my grandmothers spasms. He qonquired and said that he himself dealt with spasms when he was under high mental strain in med school. Aside from this I had something else to run by you Dr. Taka. It seems that even though her symptoms are going away, she still has stiffness in her shoulders (which she previously injured) and consequently, her neck became very stiff. So, was wondering if a procedure like acunpuncture would be a good solution for a 92 year old with muscle stiffness and the minor spasms in her leg and arm.
Your information has been very useful and we have followed steps to make sure my grandmother didn't have issues with stroke or Any signs of cysts. It is still undetermined how the spasms began, however they seem to be subsiding. My family's unprofessional consensus is that the spasms may have originated from overbearing strain on her body from a high frequency of medical procedures and intense medication. I asked my country doctor about the possibility that extreme stress ,both mental and physical ( from extreme sleep deprivation and medication) could have a role to play in my grandmothers spasms. He qonquired and said that he himself dealt with spasms when he was under high mental strain in med school. Aside from this I had something else to run by you Dr. Taka. It seems that even though her symptoms are going away, she still has stiffness in her shoulders (which she previously injured) and consequently, her neck became very stiff. So, was wondering if a procedure like acunpuncture would be a good solution for a 92 year old with muscle stiffness and the minor spasms in her leg and arm.
Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your kind words, I am glad that your grandmother is doing better. It is a relief to know there was no brain lesion with potentially long-term consequences. It remains a little bit of a puzzle, it is true that tiredness and stress can cause all types of physical reactions though.
Regarding the acupuncture treatment, it is an issue of which I am often asked. It is a little difficult to answer confidently because acupuncture is not a method which belongs to western medicine. As a result it is a procedure for which there are not many studies, unlike other management alternatives there are not many statistically controlled clinical trials to prove or dispute its efficacy. It is considered generally safe though, there are little contraindications to it and in everyday practice I have had several patients reporting benefit from it. So I do not see any harm in trying it although as I said it is not included in medical guidelines.
I hope she will be back to normal soon.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your kind words, I am glad that your grandmother is doing better. It is a relief to know there was no brain lesion with potentially long-term consequences. It remains a little bit of a puzzle, it is true that tiredness and stress can cause all types of physical reactions though.
Regarding the acupuncture treatment, it is an issue of which I am often asked. It is a little difficult to answer confidently because acupuncture is not a method which belongs to western medicine. As a result it is a procedure for which there are not many studies, unlike other management alternatives there are not many statistically controlled clinical trials to prove or dispute its efficacy. It is considered generally safe though, there are little contraindications to it and in everyday practice I have had several patients reporting benefit from it. So I do not see any harm in trying it although as I said it is not included in medical guidelines.
I hope she will be back to normal soon.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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