Periarthritis of shoulder is a chronic, retrograde and inflammatory
disease of the shoulder joint capsule and the soft tissues around it, mostly due to
exposure to cold, trauma and chronic strain of the shoulder. The main clinical
manifestations are soreness and dysfunction of the shoulder. The disease is usually seen
in those at the age of 50 or so. It is termed "frozen shoulder",
"omalgia" in traditional Chinese medicine.
Clinical data:
This series of 61 cases are made up of 35 males and 26
females. Of the 61 cases, 5 suffered from bilateral scapulohumeral periarthritis and 56
suffered from unilateral scapulohumeral periarthritis. The age of patients was from 40 to
65 years old. The duration of disease was between 2 months and 3 years.
Methods of Treatment:
We treated patients with electro-acupuncture and
massage.
Main acupoints: Jianyu, Jianzhen, Quchi,
Binao and Tiaokou.
Supplementary points: Jianliao,
Shousanli, Houxi, Taiyuan and Yinlingquan.
The treatment of electro-acupuncture was given on one
group five points once and on the next group five points in next treatment. After
producing the needling sensation, electro-acupuncture stimulator was connected with
needles at dense waveform for 20 to 30 minutes. A course of treatment was 5 times.
According to the symptoms and signs, other points were added for getting better effects.
Massage: According to the degree of the
patient's shoulder dysfunction, i.e. the most sensitive pressure pain point, we rebounded
and plucked the head of biceps brachia muscle. We massaged the following acupoints:
Chienching, Tientsung, Chienyu, the top of deltoid muscle which ties humerus, the short
head of biceps brachia muscle and the top of tendon of coracobrachial muscle, with the
right thumb abdomen by pressing massage on acupoint and poking channels method. The
massage order is from gentle to suitable to strong, then from strong to suitable to
gentle, point to area to point, outside to inside to outside. According to the duration of
illness and the patient's toleranc, the points douloure, the funiculars, and the part of
induration are often massaged from 10 to 15 minutes.
Treatment Results:
25 patients were cure. Among them, the pain on shoulder
joint disappeared and the action of shoulder joint become normal again. 20 were marked
effect. Among them, the pain and action of shoulder joint were improved significantly. 13
received improvement. They felt that the pain reduced and the function of shoulder joint
was improved. Only 3 patients’ conditions had not been changed or improved after
treatment.
//End
