Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is a condition in which the soft tissue capsule surrounding the shoulder joint begins to stiffen, causing pain and decreased range of movement. It is often debilitating and creates problems in a person’s everyday self care activities such as dressing, combing the hair or even driving. It often afflicts people aged 40-60 years.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is a condition in which the soft tissue capsule surrounding the shoulder joint begins to stiffen, causing pain and decreased range of movement. It is often debilitating and creates problems in a person’s everyday self care activities such as dressing, combing the hair or even driving. It often afflicts people aged 40-60 years.
Common Risk Factors :
- Old age
- Shoulder trauma or post surgery
- Diabetes mellitus
- Those with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and thyroid diseases
Methodology :
- Acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for the alleviation of Frozen shoulder and has tremendous effect in increasing the range of movement.
- Needling, electrostimulation and Guasha can reduce pain, inflammation, muscle and joint stiffness.
- Extreme movement of the joint is advised to be avoided till pain completely subsides. Thereafter, stretches are employed to improve the range of movement.
- Regular Acupuncture maintenance sessions, taking the needed supplements, practicing yoga or strength training exercises takes care of the shoulder joint in the long run.
- In addition, appropriate nutrition counselling and lifestyle modifications are also employed to improve the overall health.
- A well-placed needle sets off a cascade of events:
- Through the neurohumoral pathway; producing a signal that travels along the spinal cord to the brain, triggering a release of neurotransmitters such as beta-endorphins, serotonin and enkephalins. (Pomeranz, 1987, Zijlstra 2003, Zhao 2008, Cheng 2009).
- Reduction of inflammation by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors thereby reducing pain. (Kim 2008, Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003).
- Through enhancing local microcirculation, by increasing the diameter and blood flow velocity of peripheral arterioles. It can repair muscle injuries and strengthen weak muscles or relax tense ones. (Komori 2009).
- Due to the concentrated placement of acupoints around the joints, it can influence the stimulation of nerve growth factor and bone growth factors; thereby facilitating tissue regeneration. (Gh, He, Ruan Jw, Zeng Ys, X. Zhou, Y. Ding, and Zhou Gh, 2015)
As per Classical Chinese Medicine, regular Acupuncture sessions in the long run promote production and circulation of Qi, blood and body fluids as well as aid the transformation process by eliminating toxins through sweat, urine and faeces. This, in turn optimises immunity, improves appetite, energy levels and sleep, regularises bowel movements and helps manage stress better.
The safety profile of acupuncture is excellent, with very few adverse events when performed by a trained practitioner.
As no two patients are alike, the duration of the treatment vastly depends on the patient’s age, health habits and the severity of the condition.