Treating frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder is the common name for increasing pain, stiffness and immobility of a shoulder joint. This typically occurs in people over 40 and is more common in women than men. It is due to inflammation and thickening in the lining of the capsule surrounding the joint, which starts to stick to itself. In most cases, there is no obvious cause, but it may follow a fall; a task involving repetitive movements of the joint, such as painting, typing, vigorous stirring; poor posture and excessive force whilst doing any repetitive task, not having enough breaks from the task; or after unusually strenuous exercise. Attacks have also been linked with other medical conditions such as chronic bronchitis, diabetes, stroke or heart pain, and are possibly triggered by general immobility.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder

A slow onset of shoulder pain and stiffness: The pain is generally dull but becomes sharp with movement. It may become so severe that it limits your ability to use your shoulder and interferes with sleep. Pain is normally located over the outer shoulder area.

Pain in the neck and elbow

Restricted shoulder movement

Difficulty in routine activities, e.g. combing hairs, brushing teeth, wearing shirts; Over time, as shoulder motion becomes limited, the shoulder becomes stiffer.

The longer you continue to neglect a frozen shoulder, the greater the possibility of developing a permanent shoulder disability. Prompt action is recommended to restore a normal range of motion to the shoulder.

Getting mobile

During the initial, acutely painful stage of the condition, it is important to rest. Anti inflammatory painkillers such as nutmeg, ginger, garlic, cloves, rosemary, cardamom, black pepper can help ease the pain. Other useful herbs are:

Milletiasp: (ito-Yoruba, kpukpu-manya-Igbo)– stem may nourish the blood and promote blood circulation. It also helps relax muscles and joint. This wonderful botanical is effective in cases is soreness, numbness and immovability of extremities.Contains stigmasterol (anti-stiffness factor) known to inhibit several pro-inflammatory and matrix degradation mediators.

Boil 10-30 grams in water for 45 mins, allow to cool down and take a quarter tumbler 2X daily. You can also soak in wine for the same oral administration. Dried stems are powderised and taken with hot water or pap.

Dacryodesedulis (local pear)– the stem bark of local pear may be crushed or powdered with alligator pepper. Mix with palm oil and apply topically to relieve pains, debility and stiffness. The presence of bioactive compounds such as saponins, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids in the plant has been suggested to be responsible for the use of dacryodes in traditional medicine to cure inflammation.

Canariumschweinfurthii (ubeokpoko-Igbo, elemi-Yoruba)-crude extract from the plant possesses anti-inflammatory properties. The resin collected from the wounded bark of the tree when applied would ease pain associated with frozen shoulder. Simply make a “V” shaped incision on the stem bark and collect, mix with Shea butter and use in the same form as conventional balm to relieve sprains and muscle aches. The leaves when used in tea form would also relieve inflammation. Sadly, this wonderful plant may not be easily accessible due to negative impacts of urbanization and deforestation. And the most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for canarium and millions of other plant species. So if you cannot find the tree, local pear would give you the same benefit, since they both belong to the same family, burseraceae.

Lantana camara(wild sage, ewon agogo-Yoruba)-tea prepared from the leaves and flowers are taken against frozen shoulder. Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties make this possible. One tablespoon should be infused in a teacup of boiling water for 15-30 minutes, sieved and taken 2X daily.

Bromelain- eating pineapple can provide you with some bromelain, especially if you juice the hard core, which has more concentrated amounts. To ease the symptoms of frozen shoulder faster, take a glass of fresh pineapple juice+core morning and evening for about 8 weeks. Juicing pineapple with aloe vera, ginger and turmeric is even a more powerful anti-inflammatory pain relief remedy.

Sesame seeds (beni seed)-contains significant amounts of copper and zinc which have shown to reduce joint swelling and pain. Though not commonly available here, black seasame is preferable for reducing your pain. However, you can use the golden yellow or white species which are available in our local markets. Soak a handful in a glass of warm water overnight and then apply over the shoulder. For faster results, make sesame/turmeric pastes and apply on the affected shoulder.

Stinging nettles-make a strong tea from the leaves and stems and then apply on the liquid topically to reduce pain. Orally, take 1 tablespoon of nettle leaf, infused in boiled water for 15 minutes, 2-3X a day.

Glusaminesulphate– this improves the quality and quantity of the synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint. It thus gets to the root of the problem and can help support and repair joints. For joint comfort, it is advisable not to take more than 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate daily and be sure to get good brands.

Vitamin C- has an anti inflammatory effect.Getting enough vitamin C from your diet by eating lots of fresh fruits especially-citrus, cantaloupe, mango, pawpaw, guava, water melon as well as many vegetables would be very helpful in treating a frozen shoulder. Vitamin C supplements can be taken several times a day to maintain sufficient levels of the nutrient.

You may also try mild massaging:

Massage therapy- different kinds of massage therapy help in alleviating pain of frozen shoulder:

Aroma message therapy-to reduce chronic pain add 3 drops each of lavender, clove and rosemary essential oils diluted with a carrier oil like Jojoba oil or olive oil. Apply this 3-4X daily.

Oil massages-to reduce stiffness and pain too, mustard oil is highly recommended. Heat the oil over a low flame; add garlic and onions to it while heating. Allow to cool down and then apply it on your shoulders. This works like wonder.

Note: What treatment used, depends on the specific cause. Therefore, the most important step to treating it is to find out the original trigger.

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After the pain has begun to subside, manipulation of the joint by an expert or physiotherapist is essential as it must be exercised regularly to prevent it seizing up. Note that it can take many months to achieve good mobility again.