Frozen shoulder is an inflammation of the capsule and tissue around the shoulder joint causing the shoulder to hurt and to limit its motion range. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis system, frozen shoulder is also known as “Fifty-year-old shoulder” due to the fact that most of the patients suffering from this condition are around this age. In the early stage of this condition, the main symptoms are coldness and stiffness, particularly at night time. Later stages of this condition manifest themselves mainly in the form of limited motion. Cupping is an effective therapy to treat frozen shoulder and for general shoulder pain without anti-inflammatory medications, effectively decreasing pain and restoring mobility.
Cupping, a traditional Chinese therapy, uses cups to create suction on the skin. The cups will create a vacuum effect and pull up the skin to stimulate Qi and blood flow to the area. To treat frozen shoulder effectively, we usually use plum-blossom needles to facilitate light bleeding as prescribed in the treatment of “wind-cold” (term that references stiffness) obstructing symptoms in conditions like frozen shoulder.
Tina is a 53 year old client. When she came to my practice, her main complaint was pain in the shoulder, especially at night time. This was in turn, disrupting her sleep and therefore, her daily life. At the same time, her shoulder motion was severely limited and she was not even able to perform simple movements, like combing her hair or raising her arms. The condition was particularly painful in the morning, when it would take more than half an hour for Tina to be able to get out of bed. These symptoms started about five months ago and they worsened by the week, with the stiffness radiating to the neck and the back. Tina consulted with a number of doctors and the medication prescribed was not helping in any meaningful way.
When she came to my practice, I first confirmed that she did not have any actual injury to the shoulder. Shortly after, I came to the conclusion she had a typical frozen shoulder. This is a condition Traditional Medicine doctors treat relatively frequently and I was very familiar with it. I utilized the Acupoint cupping system to stimulate the areas of JianYu, TianZong, JianZhen and DaZhui. During the treatment, I also used the plum-blossom needle to stimulate light bleeding. I let the cups for about 10 minutes on the first visit and I scheduled follow-up visits every other day for a total of 10 times.
After the first treatment, Tina felt substantial stiffness relief on her neck and back. This was one of the reasons why she decided to continue with the treatment. Shortly after, she could raise her arms and shoulders with no pain and with an extended range of motion. Eventually, the pain went away fully, restoring the shoulder’s full range of motion. I asked Tina to come back after a month fo a follow-up. By then, I was happy to see that none of the symptoms had come back!
Cupping is a simple therapy to stimulate muscles. It can be very helpful in the treatment of pain in multiple areas, including the head, neck and shoulders. As in the case of Tina, cupping can be an effective choice in treating common conditions like frozen shoulder.
Ning Ma
MCM (Masters in Chinese Medicine)
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