Where Do Acupuncture Needles Go for Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, can be a painful and frustrating condition that severely limits your range of motion. If you're exploring alternative therapies to manage pain and improve mobility, acupuncture might be on your radar. Acupuncture aims to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, and restore mobility by stimulating specific points on the body.

Understanding Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder occurs when the connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint thickens and tightens, restricting movement. It typically progresses through three stages: freezing, frozen, and thawing. Each stage involves varying degrees of stiffness, inflammation, and pain.

In Sarah's experience, frozen shoulder can often occur in perimenopausal women. As our body begins to dry out (note – dry eyes, dry hair, dry skin), our body fluids can be depleted leading to dryness in our synovial fluid in our glenohumeral joint. Acupuncture can help to redirect body fluids to the glenohumeral joint to help lubricate it bringing back movement to the shoulder.

Acupuncture Points for Frozen Shoulder

Licensed acupuncturists use a combination of local, adjacent, and distal acupuncture points to treat frozen shoulder. The selection of points may vary based on the patient’s symptoms and overall health, but here are some commonly used areas:

1. Local Points (Around the Shoulder Joint)

These points are placed near the source of the pain:

• Jianyu (LI15): Located at the front of the shoulder, it’s one of the most important points for shoulder disorders.

• Jianliao (SJ14): Located on the back side of the shoulder, helpful for improving mobility.

• Binao (LI14): Found on the upper arm between the shoulder and elbow, this point is often used for pain relief and circulation.

  
  

2. Adjacent Points (Surrounding Muscles and Joints)

These help release muscle tension and improve the flow of qi (energy):

• Jianzhen (SI9) and Naoshu (SI10): Located on the upper back near the shoulder blade, these points target tension in the rotator cuff area.

• Tianzong (SI11): A powerful point on the scapula for deep shoulder pain.

  
  

3. Distal Points (Far From the Shoulder, but Connected Through Meridians)

These might seem unrelated at first, but they play a key role in balancing the body’s energy and reducing systemic inflammation:

• Hegu (LI4): Located on the hand between the thumb and index finger, this point is famous for pain relief.

• Waiguan (SJ5): Found on the forearm, used to treat pain and improve circulation in the upper limbs.

• Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6): These leg points are chosen to strengthen overall energy and reduce inflammation.

• ST38 - this is an emperical point for frozen shoulder

Tags: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture; frozen shoulder, acupuncture esher, acupuncture cobham, acupuncture claygate, acupuncture weybridge, acupuncture walton on thames, acupuncture surrey

Sarah San Acupuncture is located near Esher, Cobham, Claygate, Oxshott, Walton on Thames, Weybridge, Surrey.