Chinese Medicine
Frozen shoulder
A shoulder that hurts and slowly stiffens, until you cannot reach up or behind your back. Dr. Pan checks the cause first, then makes a plan.
Please bring any X-ray or MRI reports, and a list of the medicines, supplements and herbs you take now. If you have diabetes or a thyroid problem, bring your latest results.
First, check the cause
In a frozen shoulder, the lining of the joint tightens. It is more common between 40 and 60, and in people with diabetes or thyroid problems. Treatment eases the pain and helps the shoulder move again.
How it is treated
- Gentle stretches every day, and physical therapy. This is the main treatment.
- Acupuncture: very thin needles, to ease the pain and stiffness, so stretching is easier. It is a long-established treatment for frozen shoulder in Chinese medicine, and together with the stretches it works even better.
- Chinese herbs, prescribed for your pattern, to dispel wind and cold, improve circulation and ease pain. They are checked against the medicines you already take.
- Pain medicine; a steroid injection into the shoulder, or a referral, if the pain is bad.
How many visits
Usually once a week at first. Six to eight visits make a course; then look at how much better you are: less pain at night, and how much higher you can lift your arm.
Common questions
Should I keep the shoulder still?
Keep it moving. Gentle stretching, a little every day, keeps it from getting stiffer.
Will it get better?
Yes, most people recover well. Treatment eases the pain and helps you move sooner.
Do I need an MRI?
Usually not. Dr. Pan may order an X-ray or MRI if the exam suggests a tear or another problem.
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Seen in King of Prussia
Patients travel from King of Prussia, Wayne, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Radnor, Conshohocken, Malvern, Phoenixville, Devon and Berwyn.