🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Shoulder periarthritis, also known as periarthritis of the shoulder joint, refers to widespread sterile inflammation of soft tissues around the shoulder joint due to injury. Clinical features include shoulder pain, tenderness, restricted joint mobility, and even muscle atrophy and spasm.
Shoulder periarthritis commonly affects individuals around age 50, hence its nickname “fifty-year-old shoulder,” and occurs more frequently in women than men, with left shoulders more often affected than right ones. In clinical practice, early discomfort in the shoulder is often overlooked, leading to delayed treatment and chronic disease development. The exact cause of shoulder periarthritis remains unclear. Experts suggest that after middle age, bodily functions gradually decline, vital energy weakens, liver and kidney deficiency leads to inadequate nourishment of tendons and sinews, creating a predisposition to disease. External factors such as exposure to wind, cold, and dampness directly affect the shoulder, contributing to the condition. Reduced shoulder activity may also play a role. The higher incidence in women and left shoulders supports this theory.
For treatment, clinical practice typically employs comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine approaches.
1. Herbal medicine: Oral preparations such as Yangxue Rongjing Wan or Huoxue Zhitong San can be used. Alternatively, herbal heat compresses or fomentations with herbs promoting blood circulation, relaxing tendons, and dispersing nodules may be applied.
2. Cupping: Commonly used acupoints include Jianjing, Jianyu, Jianqian, Jianzhen, and Tianzong. Two points are selected each time, alternated.
3. Gua Sha: Mainly targets the Lung Meridian and Large Intestine Meridian along the outer arm. Perform once or twice weekly.
4. Acupuncture: Key acupoints include Jianjing, Jianyu, Jianqian, Jianzhen, Dazhui, Quchi, Waiguan, and Wangu. Use 1–1.5-inch needles, disinfect skin with 75% alcohol cotton balls, insert into acupoints, and retain needles for 20–30 minutes. Once daily. One course lasts two weeks.
5. Physical therapy: Use high-frequency electromagnetic therapies such as ultrashort wave. Once daily, one course lasting ten days. It helps reduce inflammation, relieve pain, relax muscles, improve circulation, and ease muscle tension.
6. Functional exercises: Crucial for shoulder periarthritis patients. “Medical treatment accounts for 30%, exercise for 70%.” Encourage patients to perform shoulder joint movements, especially large-range motions, which help prevent adhesions, stiffness, and contracture of soft tissues.
7. Forward bending and shoulder rotation: Patient bends forward with arms hanging down, swings the affected arm, using the shoulder as center to make circular motions inward or outward, letting the swing move the shoulder joint.
Backward bending and squatting: Patient stands facing a table, hands placed behind on the edge, repeatedly performs squats to strengthen backward shoulder joint movement.
8. Wall climbing: Patient stands facing a wall, raises both hands and places them on the wall, trying to climb upward, aiming to go higher each day.