I hit my elbow as many people have before but this time the pain that ran down my arm into my fingers has yet to go away after two weeks. I am certain that nothing is broken, torn, etc. However the pain is still very intense.
Any accupressure (or other methods or ideas) to make the pain go away and make my hand and arm useable again??? Thanks in advance.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
Well, certainly acupuncture is a great option. One of the differences between acupressure and acupuncture is that the needles are able to reduce inflammation on a more micro level which is often involved in cases like this. I'm fairly certain you would get a much quicker response to this condition with 2-3 acupuncture treatments vs. acupressure.
You probably just bruised the bone and have some local inflammation which may be impinging on the nerve. For self-treatment I would use alternating periods of ice and heat on it if there are still obvious signs of inflammation - so perhaps 5 minutes ice and 5 minutes heat - continuing alternating a few rounds and then end on the heat. Ice is generally looked down upon on TCM, but alternating it like this makes the vessels constrict, then the heat makes them dilate, etc. causing a flushing in the area which facilitates healing.
If you don't see any signs of inflammation, I would rub in a fair amount of tiger balm (or something similar) on a regular basis and then use massage down the bicep through the forearm to facilitate the circulation. After the massage, you could try holding points such as LI 11, LI 4, TH 5, PC 6, as examles, to further help the energetic flow through the area.