Dr. Yi Song’s Blog

Recently I have had several people inquiring about acupuncture treatment for frozen shoulder.  Most people are surprised to hear that acupuncture can help frozen shoulder. Please read the newest cases on my website, www.yourhealthandlongevity.com/frozen-shoulder.htm. 

When it comes to frozen shoulder, the first treatment conventional Western Medicine offers is physical therapy.  If the shoulder joint has become frozen due to the scar tissue formation after the injury, the only way that you will be able to restore the range-of-motion in the joint is to break up the scar tissue.    Movement is the key in improving the range of the motion in the joint.  Since the scar tissue has formed in the area due to improper healing, it is often times extremely painful to perform certain movements.  The person with the frozen shoulder then avoids those motions, which promotes further the formation of scar tissue in the area.

Acupuncture combined with electric stimulation, acupressure, and Chinese therapeutic massage improves the circulation deep in the joint; therefore, it alleviates the pain associated with the movements, helps break down the scar tissue, and promotes healing.  At the end of each session, the patient is able to achieve bigger range of motion than that at the beginning of the session.  An intensive kinetic activity session with acupressure and massage follows to further break down the scar tissue that has been softened during the acupuncture with electric stimulation.  Since the patient feels less pain utilizing the joint due to the pain reducing effect of acupuncture, the practitioner will try to make passive movements to help the patient reach greater range of motion which he/she could not on him/herself.  At the same time, special acupressure points and tender area with lumps and knots from scar tissue are massages in order to soften and dissipate them.  Usually the patient is able to improve further in the range of motion during the therapeutic exercise and neuromuscular reeducation session.

In comparison with conventional physical therapy, most frequently prescribed for frozen shoulder, the clinical effects of a combined treatment session are greater due to the following reasons:

1. The duration of the session is longer in acupuncture and therefore, stimulates a larger area in the joints.
2. It can stimulate the circulation and repair deeper in the joint as the stimulation is transmitted through the needles and acupressure. The electric stimulation throught acupuncture needles delivers deeper vibration than the regular TENS or ultrasound in physical therapy.
3. The kinetic activity session is tailored to each individual person and addresses the exact issue the patient is having difficulty with.  A lot of physical therapy exercises are standardized and do not cater to every situation.
4. With the help pain-reducing effect of acupuncture, the patient has less pain while practicing the therapuetic exercises so that the patient does not avoid these exercises but tries to work harder.   
5. The simultaneous

My name is Yi Song and I am a Licensed Acupuncturist in Massachusetts.  I have a practice in Boston, MA and if you would like to know more about me please go to the “About Me” section of this blog. 

The purpose of this blog is to demystify misconceptions about Chinese Medicine, counteract wrongful accusations from skeptics, and make the theories and practice of Chinese Medicine understood by both the general public and Western medical and scientific society.

The ultimate goal is to make as few as possible people be misled by misconceptions and the biased argument against Chinese Medicine so that as many as possible people can benefit from what Chinese Medicine has to offer.

What I write in here represents my knowledge of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine based on what I have studied from my family, my practice in Boston, and from what I have learned from masters in China.

Please feel free to make comments and ask questions.  I will try my best to reply as soon as possible.