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Lets talk Frozen...............no not the Disney film! Frozen Shoulder

4/2/2015

3 Comments

 
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What causes it?  From what doctors can determine its caused by inflammation and thickening of the flexible tissue around the should joint ( the capsule).  But its not fully understood as to why this happens. There could be an old injury or possibly over use of the shoulder.

You are at more risk if you are aged between 40 and 60, and female!! Up to 1 in 20 people in the UK are affected at some time in their lives!


The main symptoms of frozen shoulder are restricted rotational movement which leads to pain.

Did you know there are 3 stages in the onset of Frozen Shoulder (or adhesive capsulitis)?

  1. ‘Freezing Phase’ You may just notice your shoulder aches and feels stiff , it may be quite painful when you try to reach for something or when you are lying on it at night. Lasts 2 – 9 months

  2. ‘Frozen Phase’ Shoulder becomes stiffer and everyday tasks get harder t perform. Pain does not necessarily get worse. Muscles can start to waste away due to lack of use.  Lasts 4- 12months

  3. ‘Thawing Phase’ Gradually you start to regain some movement, pain can start to reduce as will the stiffness. Everyday tasks should get easier but full movement may never be recovered. Lasts  5 months to many years!

Right, well what can you do about it?

Your doctor would probably just give you pain killers and possibly corticosteroid injections depending on the severity.  A good physio will show you some useful exercises which can help to loosen the muscles and return some mobility.

Surely months of pain and discomfort, not to mention inconvenience when you are struggling with simple tasks, is just too much though?  Except I suppose if you don’t have to do the ironing!!! I hate ironing!

So whats the alternative?

Acupuncture, can help resolve frozen shoulder amazingly quickly! In fact I have been really surprised at the amount of improvement that I have seen clients achieve after just one treatment!!

This is because acupuncture has an almost immediate effect on the muscles, encouraging them to ‘let go’ and relax. It also has a direct effect on the brain and particularly the pain centre I n the brain!

There are a number of famous and ancient points which are particularly recommended for FS.  One seemingly strange one is where we needle the opposite leg!

I use these points in conjunction with other local points around the shoulder joint area, and also points which encourage the body to heal - Chinese medicine views things very differently to Western medicine, we always like to look to see if there are any underlying issues which may have contributed to the condition.  

For example Spleen Deficiency can cause muscles to become weak and stressed, Liver Blood Deficiency  can cause muscular spasms, weakness and cramps (Liver Blood not nourishing the muscles and tendons). I would then use some points directly associated with improving these issues, thereby giving a better long term outcome.

If Frozen Shoulder is stopping you from building your snowman, then give me a call


3 Comments
Martha Burton link
4/2/2015 01:30:13 pm

A very helpful website, and also a very effective treatment that both myself and my husband have used for back pain and headaches. We would both happily recommend Colette and EAST Norwich Acupuncture to anyone.

Reply
Colette Ogle
6/2/2015 05:34:22 am

Thanks Martha Im glad it has helped you and Glen :-)

Reply
Rebecca Claxton link
5/2/2015 02:04:11 am

Great article Colette.
I had frozen shoulder about 5-6 years ago and it's extremely painful!
It was actually caused by swapping sides of the bed with my husband when I had my second daughter as we could only fit the crib on his side of the bed! Obviously we didn't figure that out for a long time and I would have happily tried anything to relieve the pain and make it go away. If only I'd known about acupuncture at the time!
I'm hoping it never comes back again, but if it does I'll be sure to try this out :)

Reply



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    Hi I'm Colette Ogle owner of EAST Norwich Acupuncture, and I want to share with you interesting snip-its, reviews and news on TCM, Acupuncture and general  ways  in which you can improve your health. I hope you find these informative and helpful, if you would like to see more of a certain topic, just let me know.

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