How does acupuncture treatment of frozen shoulder work?
Acupuncture offers yet another way of achieving pain relief in the treatment of frozen shoulder. Many patients seem to find it very effective but I am not aware of any good quality research studies to support its use. It will certainlycause no harm and you may well wish to try it as an option. Western or “scientific” acupuncture inserts small needles into points in the skin and muscles around the shoulder. These points are often tender to touch before the needles go in – and this tenderness is often relieved by the treatment. In my experience you may well gain several days or more of good pain relief after each treatment session. Traditional chinese acupuncture practitioners often take a different view. They see a frozen shoulder as only one manifestation of a wider imbalance in the whole body. They will attempt to treat this imbalance with needles inserted near to the shoulder but will also insert needles into other parts of the body – looking to improve the flow of the body’s natural
