[Kok! Health] "There Is a Golden Time for Osipgyeon... Early Treatment Is Important"

Advice has been given that early diagnosis and treatment of frozen shoulder accompanied by shoulder pain are important.

According to Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital on the 3rd, frozen shoulder is a disease where the shoulder hurts and movement is restricted without any special trauma, also known as adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder occurs due to inflammation and adhesion in the joint capsule that forms the joint.

Professor Jeong Won-seok of the Department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital said, "In the 50s, muscle strength begins to decrease, and problems occur due to accumulated impact and degeneration in the joints, so frozen shoulder, a shoulder joint disease, mainly occurs at this time." He emphasized, "However, inflammation and adhesion caused by structural damage due to trauma or overuse can lead to frozen shoulder, so it can occur even before the 40s or after the 50s."

Generally, frozen shoulder starts with pain. Initially, shoulder pain gradually progresses and worsens when moving or lying down at night, sometimes disturbing sleep. As the pain worsens, the range of motion of the shoulder decreases. For these reasons, many people realize they have frozen shoulder only after it has progressed to some extent.

Professor Jeong explained that early detection and treatment of frozen shoulder are important. He said, "In the early stages, treatment and prevention are easy, but once range of motion restriction begins, recovery is delayed, so it is important to keep the golden time." He added, "In Korean medicine, treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, pharmacopuncture, as well as Chuna therapy, and physical therapies using heat, light, and electricity are performed."

Among Korean medicine treatments, acupuncture is used to balance the rotator cuff and surrounding synergistic muscles, which are important muscles coordinating humerus movement. If the 'push and pull' of the rotator cuff is not coordinated, pain and impingement occur in the shoulder joint, making movement restricted. Moxibustion is a method that creates burns on the body surface and is useful for controlling inflammation and pain.

For prevention of frozen shoulder, correct posture and exercise are essential. If the posture is related to rounded shoulders where the shoulders are rolled forward, correction is necessary. Poor posture causes the scapula to tilt forward, causing collisions between the humerus and scapula every time the shoulder moves, leading to damage. Maintaining correct posture by straightening the shoulders and spine is important for treatment and prevention.

Professor Jeong said, "Shoulder exercises are essential to prevent adhesion of tissues caused by inflammation or damage and to maintain range of motion." He added, "It helps to relax and move the shoulder in all possible directions to the maximum extent, holding for about 5 to 10 seconds to stretch connective tissue, or performing joint relaxation repetitive exercises such as lightly holding weights and shaking forward, backward, inward, and outward."

Professor Jeong Won-seok, Department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital. [Photo by Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital]

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