Can Acupressure Help Frozen Shoulder?

Adhesive capsulitis (AC), commonly known as frozen shoulder, is an inflammatory musculoskeletal condition that produces pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. The pain is often intense (particularly at night), making arm and shoulder movement difficult. This limitation of movement may be debilitating and have a negative impact on the overall quality of life.

Frozen shoulder syndrome can be treated in several different ways. The first is steroid injections, which involve injecting cortisone into the joint capsule to expand the tissue and reduce inflammation.  Unfortunately for Adhesive Capsulitis this is only a temporary solution as the inflammation will redevelop within a number of weeks. Furthermore, excessive amounts of cortisone can weaken the soft tissue structures of the joint. Other treatments include chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage, and acupuncture. Although these approaches can alleviate some pain, the relief provided is minor since they can only address the secondary muscular component.

The best way to treat frozen shoulder is to see a frozen shoulder expert who specializes in using the world’s first Manual Capsular Dissection – MCD technique, which may relieve discomfort in a matter of minutes. Nevertheless, many individuals choose to investigate alternatives to enhance their health before seeing a specialist.

So, can acupressure help you with your frozen shoulder? Continue reading to find out.

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique that includes applying manual pressure to particular trigger points on the body to alleviate blocked energy or qi. It is similar to acupuncture, but it involves fingertip pressure instead of needles. Acupressure is said to help with various conditions by enhancing energy flow, from motion sickness to headaches to muscular pain.

How Does Acupressure Work?

Nobody knows for sure how acupressure works. Some believe that the pressure causes the release of endorphins. These are the body’s natural pain-relieving compounds.

Others believe the pressure placed on trigger points affects the autonomic nervous system. This component of your nervous system regulates involuntary functions such as your heart, digestion, and breathing.

TCM principles state that invisible energy pathways known as meridians run throughout the body. It is believed that at least 14 meridians link the organs to the rest of the body. These meridians include acupressure points. It is believed that if qi is stopped at any point along a meridian, it will produce health problems along that pathway.

A practitioner applies pressure to specific pressure points to restore healthy energy flow. The points they select are determined by your symptoms. Given the nature of meridians, the pressure points employed may be located a great distance from the source of the ailment. Acupoints on the foot, for example, may be utilized to treat headaches.

Does Acupressure Help Shoulder Pain?

Research into the health benefits of acupressure is in its infancy, and more well-designed research is needed to determine how effective the approach is.   

The Root Cause of Frozen Shoulder

When the connective tissue inside the shoulder capsule contracts and constricts, it causes adhesive capsulitis. Adhesions, which are persistent patches of scar tissue, produce frozen shoulder symptoms such as inflammation of connective tissues and the inability to engage the muscular tissues that support the shoulder capsule completely.

Frozen Shoulder advances through three distinct stages:

Freezing Stage

At first, the symptoms of adhesive capsulitis look like those of many other shoulder joint problems. Frozen shoulder symptoms begin with modest shoulder pain, loss of strength, and range of motion impairments, which worsen over two to nine months.

Frozen Stage

Patients at this phase have severely limited shoulder mobility and substantial discomfort that affects both active and passive shoulder ranges of motion. This implies that patients cannot move the afflicted shoulder through a normal range of shoulder abduction (raising the arm horizontally away from the body) and that the patient’s shoulders cannot be moved through a functional range of motion even with the help of another person.

Thawing Stage

In 90 percent of cases, Frozen shoulder resolves independently, although it may last for many months to two years after the frozen stage. Unfortunately 10 percent of cases remain frozen and need to endure medical intervention or the shoulder may remain frozen for life. 

What Is the Best Treatment for a Frozen Shoulder?

While acupressure could help with the pain of your frozen shoulder, it’s best to consult an expert who can check your shoulder and provide you with a tried-and-true frozen shoulder treatment, the Manual Capsular Dissection (MCD) Procedure.

The MCD method, developed by Dr. Allan Gary Oolo-Austin of the World Frozen Shoulder Clinic, has a 98% success rate in treating frozen shoulders. It is a non-invasive procedure that is performed in one visit. The offensive tissue is resolved non-invasively to restore joint mobility, and alleviate nerve pain resulting from the fibrotic scar tissue or adhesions. The secondary Muscular components are also treated with a myoneural medicine to restore function and better the prognosis. Following an MCD operation, patients will be shown the frozen shoulder exercises  to maintain permanent results and speed up their recovery

If you suffer from chronic shoulder pain, it could be a frozen shoulder. 

Don’t delay, make an appointment with us today! 

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