Frozen Shoulder: Understanding the Causes and Benefits of Acupuncture
When your shoulder feels like it’s stuck in place, and each movement is a struggle, it can be more than just frustrating—it can interrupt your day-to-day life. Today, let’s learn more about this condition, often known as “frozen shoulder,” or in medical terms, adhesive capsulitis.
What is Frozen Shoulder (aka Adhesive Capsulitis)?
Imagine your shoulder is encased in a tight-fitting sleeve that restricts its movement. This is essentially what happens with a frozen shoulder. A thickening of the connective tissue around the joint leads to pain, stiffness and limited range of motion.
This condition unfolds in three stages, each with its own unique challenges:
- Freezing Stage: Your shoulder starts to ache and your range of motion begins to become limited. You might notice it’s tough to move without pain. This stage can last from 6 weeks to 9 months.
- Frozen Stage: During this phase, which may persist for 4 to 6 months, pain might not worsen, but your shoulder becomes stiffer, and using it becomes more difficult.
- Thawing Stage: The final stage comes with a warmth of hope. Your shoulder slowly starts to loosen up. The pain eases, and you find you can move your shoulder more freely again. This “thawing” can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.
Causes of Frozen Shoulder
This condition doesn’t happen overnight. Several factors can nudge your shoulder into this frozen state:
- Long periods of inactivity, often due to an injury or surgery
- Certain systemic conditions, such as diabetes or thyroid disease
- Being female over the age of 40, which, for reasons unclear, increases your risk
- Your body’s response to an unknown trigger, leading tissues to tighten and contract
Conventional Treatment Options
Modern medicine typically approaches a frozen shoulder with a combination of methods:
- Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications
- Physical therapy exercises to gradually restore movement
- Steroid injections to reduce inflammation
- Sometimes, surgery to loosen the joint capsule
While these options carry benefits for some, they may not offer relief for everyone. And that’s where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer its gentle, but effective touch.
Benefits of TCM for the Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
Acupuncture has been proven to be quite effective in the treatment of frozen shoulder. Treatments are designed to:
- Reduce pain: Acupuncture can help ease the discomfort that comes with a frozen shoulder.
- Increase blood flow: Enhanced circulation may help to decrease inflammation and promote healing.
- Relax the muscles: Encouraging relaxation might reduce stiffness and aid in regaining a range of motion.
- Balance the body’s energy: TCM teaches that health issues like a frozen shoulder are due to disrupted energy flow, which acupuncture aims to correct.
Easing out of a frozen shoulder can be a slow process, but patience, coupled with appropriate treatment, paves the way for your body’s natural capacity to find balance and health. Trust in that innate power and reach out to us at TLC Medicine—your path to healing is our mission.