What is frozen shoulder? What are the symptoms? How can TCM prevent, treat and treat it?

What is frozen shoulder? What are the symptoms? How can TCM prevent, treat and treat it?

Chen ZhenchongDeputy Chief Physician

Dagang Town Community Health Service Center, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Frozen shoulder is a common shoulder disease, also known as periarthritis of shoulder or frozen shoulder. It is mainly manifested by shoulder pain, stiffness and limited movement, and often occurs in people around 50 years old.

According to the definition of the American College of Shoulder Surgeons, this disease is a type of adhesive arthritis that causes meniscus joint stiffness, manifested by pain around the shoulder joint, which worsens at night, and reduces the active and passive range of motion of the shoulder joint in all directions. It progressively worsens and causes limited shoulder joint movement.

The more common diagnosis internationally at present is to call "periarthritis of shoulder" of unknown cause "frozen shoulder", and to call "periarthritis of shoulder" caused by trauma and surgery "shoulder joint stiffness".

1. What are the discomforts of frozen shoulder?

Shoulder pain is chronic and gradually worsens, affecting multiple parts of the neck and upper limbs. The pain is severe when collided or pulled; movement is limited, normal movements cannot be performed, muscle strength decreases, and in severe cases it can affect the function of the elbow joint.

1. Shoulder pain

2. Limited shoulder joint movement

In particular, actions such as combing hair, dressing, washing face, and putting hands on waist are difficult to complete. In severe cases, the elbow joint function may also be affected. When the elbow is flexed, the hand cannot touch the shoulder on the same side, especially when the arm is extended backward, the elbow flexion movement cannot be completed.

3. Fear of cold

Patients are afraid of cold shoulders, and many of them wrap their shoulders with cotton pads all year round. Even in summer, they dare not let the wind blow on their shoulders.

4. Tenderness

2. How does Traditional Chinese Medicine treat it?

In TCM theory, frozen shoulder is mainly caused by liver and kidney deficiency, insufficient qi and blood, and exogenous wind, cold and dampness. Therefore, the main methods of TCM to prevent and treat frozen shoulder include: regulating qi and blood, dispelling wind and cold, and promoting blood circulation and unblocking meridians.

1. Oral administration of Chinese medicine: According to individual conditions, choose Chinese medicine that has the effects of dispelling wind and cold, promoting blood circulation and unblocking meridians, and nourishing the liver and kidneys for oral administration, such as Duhuo Jishe Decoction, Danggui Niantong Decoction, etc.

External use of Chinese medicine: You can use Chinese medicine that has the effects of dispelling wind and cold, promoting blood circulation and unblocking collaterals to make medicated wine or ointment and apply it to the affected area to relieve pain and stiffness.

2. Acupuncture: Acupuncture has the advantages of good efficacy, economic safety, and few side effects. You can choose specific acupoints for acupuncture treatment, such as Jianjing, Jianyu, Jianliao, etc.

3. Massage: Massage can improve the local blood flow of the lesion and repair the lesion tissue, and can be widely used in treatment. Commonly used massage techniques include one-finger Zen pushing, rolling, stretching, shaking, kneading and joint movement.

3. How to exercise your functions?

During the acute phase of the disease, when the pain is severe, it is advisable to rest, and the treatment is mainly to reduce inflammation and relieve pain, and excessive activity is not advisable. However, after the acute phase, regardless of the length of the disease course and the severity of the symptoms, patients should perform active activities such as flexion, extension, rotation, adduction and abduction of the shoulder joint every day, and the activities should be limited to not aggravating the pain at night.

The purpose of functional exercise is to improve blood circulation in the shoulder, enhance metabolism, reduce muscle spasms, tissue adhesions and contractures, reduce and eliminate pain, and restore the normal function of the shoulder joint. Commonly used exercise methods are as follows:

1. Wall climbing method

Stand facing the wall, with your arms close to the wall, and use your fingers to drive your arms upwards to climb the wall. Try to climb the wall as high as possible, and gradually increase the height of the wall until it is normal.

2. Circle method

There are two ways to draw circles: vertical and horizontal. Vertical circles are drawn in the up-and-down direction, and horizontal circles are drawn in the left-and-right direction, similar to the cloud hand movement in Tai Chi. You can draw 15 to 20 circles clockwise or counterclockwise each time, and you can gradually increase the amount according to your physical condition. Practice 3 to 5 times a day

3. Pull wheel method

Install a pulley on the wall or tree, pass a rope through it, tie a small wooden stick at each end, and pull it up and down to exercise. This kind of exercise equipment can be seen in some sports venues.

4. Combing hair method

Use both hands alternately from the forehead, top of the head, back of the head, and behind the ears, and circle the head forward and vertically, similar to combing hair, 15-20 times each time, 3-5 times a day.

In addition to the above methods, you can also use Chinese medicine ointment, cupping, scraping and other methods for conditioning. At the same time, strengthening exercise, keeping warm, avoiding excessive fatigue and excessive joint activity are also important measures to prevent and regulate frozen shoulder.

4. How to take care of daily life?

Maintain proper exercise: Proper exercise can promote blood circulation around the shoulder joint and relieve pain and stiffness. It is recommended to do some light exercise, such as Tai Chi, yoga, etc.

Maintain a correct posture: Avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time, such as sitting for a long time or using a computer for a long time. You should change your posture from time to time to avoid keeping your shoulder joint in the same position for a long time.

Keep warm: Keep warm to reduce the stimulation of cold wind on the shoulder joint and relieve pain and stiffness. It is recommended to wear warm clothes or use warm items such as hot water bottles in cold weather.

Diet conditioning: Eat more foods that have the effects of warming the meridians and dispelling cold, promoting blood circulation and unblocking collaterals, such as ginger, scallion, pepper, etc. At the same time, avoid eating raw, cold and cool foods.

Frozen shoulder is not to be feared. Keep calm and find it in time for treatment. Of course, it is best to prevent it from the source. No matter how healthy you are, you will understand it only after you have experienced it. No matter what your work, career or family is like, you need to maintain a healthy body. This is the real foundation. Don't let your prime age turn you into an old person. Manage your health properly, please start now.

In short, there are many methods of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention, treatment and daily care of frozen shoulder. Patients can choose appropriate methods for conditioning and treatment according to their own conditions.

Author: Chen Zhenchong, deputy chief physician

Unit: Dagang Town Community Health Service Center, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province