Featured Article : Acupuncture for Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition where the shoulder becomes very painful, stiff and restricted in movement. Symptoms can often be debilitating and can make everyday tasks such as driving, dressing and sleeping very difficult.

The exact cause of frozen shoulder is not clear but it is thought to be due to inflammation in the shoulder capsule and the formation of scar tissue. Frozen shoulder occasionally follows a shoulder injury but most cases occur without any apparent reason.

How can Lily help with Frozen Shoulder?

Lily treats frozen shoulder using Acupuncture as standard treatment and occasionally combines this with a technique called Moxibustion. Both treatments can offer patients a gentle means of treating a deep rooted problem, particularly if patients do not like the area to be touched or massaged.

Moxibustion is a warming therapy that uses a herbal incense stick to warm the energy in the body. This is often recommended for patients who feel that their symptoms are aggravated by cold and improved with warmth.

During the Acupuncture treatment, the affected shoulder and arm may feel particularly heavy or numb. If Moxibustion is also used, this can produce a warm tingling sensation in the local area which patients can find very soothing.

Patients often notice reduced levels of pain and stiffness as soon as after the first two treatments. Other patients can expect to see improvements after four or five weekly treatments.

How does Acupuncture work for Frozen Shoulder?

In Chinese medicine, pain in the body is due to a local blockage of energy and Blood. Acupuncture and Moxibustion for frozen shoulder involves choosing points to help improve the circulation and to free up any blockage in the local area in order to help reduce pain, relax muscles and reduce stiffness.

From a Western perspective, Acupuncture is believed to work by regulating the nervous system which increases the production of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins to reduce the pain itself. Acupuncture may also reduce inflammation within the shoulder joint and increase the activity of immune system cells at specific sites of the body aiding in local repair and healing.

Call Lily today!

If you are suffering from frozen shoulder and you are interested in Acupuncture for your symptoms, please do get in touch with Lily directly by phone or by email.

Remember to Keep the Shoulder Mobile!

It is important to keep the shoulder moving as much as possible with specific exercises to keep the range of motion in the shoulder and prevent further tightening.

Below are some exercises that Lily often advises for patients suffering from frozen shoulder. If you are already receiving treatment for your symptoms, do check with your caregiver that these exercises are suitable for you.

Perform each exercise slowly and hold the stretch as you reach the limit at which your arm feels it can stretch to. Release the arm slowly before performing repetitions. Never force your arm with any movement which is painful.

Pendulum Exercise

• Stand facing a table or a low-back chair.
• Slowly bend forwards, stretching the hand of your good side onto the table or chair to support you whilst letting the hand on your injured side dangle downwards.
• Gently swing the arm like a pendulum forwards and backwards, repeat 10 times.
• Gently swing the arm like a pendulum from side to side, repeat 10 times.
• Gently swing the arm so you draw circles, repeat for 10 times clockwise direction and 10 times anti-clockwise direction.

Spider Crawl

• Stand upright facing a wall.
• With your arms dangling by your side, use your fingers to touch the wall at waist height.
• Now use your fingers to slowly climb up the wall as far as you can reach.
• Note the height you get to on the wall and try to improve the distance each time.

©2005 Sean Cheng