Acupuncture For Frozen Shoulder

By Y.C. Chan, OMD, Dipl Ac

Frozen shoulder is a common cause of shoulder pain, stiffness and disability. The problem occurs when the joint capsule of the shoulder becomes inflamed, and patients are unable to move their neck, upper arms and shoulders normally, due to severe pain, discomfort and lack of mobility. If they are receiving proper care, their problem could possibly lead to disability.

Frozen shoulder most commonly affects patients 40-60 years of age. It is twice as common in women than in men. People who have diabetes are at particular risk for developing a frozen shoulder. Endocrine abnormalities, such as thyroid problems, also can lead to this problem. During the clinical observation, many patients who sustained a severe sport injury undergo surgery on the shoulder, and are reluctant to keep up their activities due to pain and discomfort from the surgery. If this situation continues, lack of circulation between the neck and shoulder may cause further problems.

Frozen shoulder, whether caused from sport activities or incorrect movements, can persist for years, unless proper treatment is received in a timely manner. There are many options available that may be able to reduce the pain and discomfort of frozen shoulders. Most people try physical therapy, pain killers and exercise to relieve the symptoms. If all procedures are performed properly and under a timely basis, most patients can get reasonable results.

If previous shoulder injuries haven't completely healed, including bursitis, tendonitis and rotator cuff injuries, some cases of frozen shoulder may not be properly diagnosed. Many cases of frozen shoulder may be caused by inflammation of the joint lining which causes scar tissue to restrict the shoulder's ability to move properly. Medical providers may treat the symptoms only. Acupuncture can enhance patient's mobility, diminish pain, increase function and improve their quality of life. Since each patient has a unique problem requiring special care, the practitioner must examine each individual case in order to make a specific treatment plan for each patient.

In a recent study conducted by Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong, and published in Hong Kong Medical Journal, December 2001, 35 patients with a frozen shoulder diagnosis were randomly allocated to an exercise group, or to an acupuncture plus exercise group. Each group was treated for a period of six weeks. Functional mobility, power, and pain were assessed by a blinded assessor using the Constant Shoulder Assessment, at baseline, six weeks and 20 weeks. Analysis was based on the intention-to-treat principle. Compared with the exercise group, the exercise plus acupuncture group experienced significantly greater improvement with treatment. Improvements in scores by 39.8% and 76.4% were seen for the exercise and the exercise plus acupuncture groups, respectively at six weeks, and were sustained at the 20-week re-assessment (40.3% and 77.2% respectively). The study showed that the combination of acupuncture with shoulder exercise may offer effective treatment for frozen shoulder.

Acupuncture meridians and point selections included the large intestine, lung meridian, finger, and feet. For frozen shoulder, avoid electrical acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping.