Rapid Healing for Frozen Shoulder: Four Free Classes

2^nd Free Class: What professional treatments are available?

Introduction Recap:  In the video for the first class Why is Your Shoulder Frozen? I explained that frozen shoulder is due to adhesive capsulitis, what that actually means, how to diagnose it, and possible causes. If you missed that video, you can use the email link to go back and watch it.  I’m Dr. Larry Burk, and the MD after my name means that I have been a musculoskeletal radiologist for the past 35 years.

The CEHP after my name stands for Certified Energy Health Practitioner, and I am also a mind-body coach. I co-founded Duke Integrative Medicine and am certified in hypnosis and acupuncture.  I also am trained in an ideal mind-body method that combines both of these approaches known as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or tapping.

In 2017, I started teaching EFT courses for the public at Duke Integrative Medicine and shifted my coaching practice to mostly online via Skype or Zoom. Those changes inspired these online classes.

Reasons I am Teaching:  I was one of the original researchers for shoulder MRI, and I’ve read 1000s of scans, including numerous with frozen shoulder. I’ve also treated frozen shoulder patients successfully starting in integrative medicine and now in my coaching practice. I had my own frozen shoulder and using all the self-healing approaches I’ve learned I was able to heal quickly in a matter of weeks rather than months and months. My hope for these classes is that you will be able to obtain similar amazing results from what you learn here.

Introduction:  In this video I will review all the possible professional treatment options including pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. There are a lot to choose from, so with this additional information you can be discerning about which approaches you might want to use as part of your healing process.

Drugs/Injections: NSAIDs and other oral drugs have not been shown to be effective for frozen shoulder. Short term relief may be provided by steroids taken by mouth or injected into the joint. Orally administered drugs may have side effects such as gastritis or bleeding. Distension of the shoulder by forceful injection of saline into the joint guided by radiology may provide increased range of motion similar to manipulation under anesthesia. This procedure can be quite painful.

Manual Methods:  Physical therapy has not been shown to be effective for frozen shoulder, and it may actually increase the degree of pain. Some patients are told by their physical therapist to discontinue treatment until the thawing stage for that reason. Massage therapy may provide some symptomatic relief depending on the skill and training of the practitioner. A variety of approaches are available including deep tissue, Rolfing, Swedish and Shiatsu.  Massage may require cash payment if not covered by insurance. There are anecdotal reports of improvement with chiropractic plus one study showing benefit from One-to-Zero (OTZ) Tension Adjustment by correcting a chiropractic subluxation between the skull and cervical spine. There are straight chiropractors who just manipulate the spine, but also others who do sports medicine manipulation of joints like the shoulder. In addition, chiropractors who do muscle testing often offer other forms of alternative medicine. Chiropractic is covered by insurance.

Anesthesia Required: Manipulation of the shoulder under light intravenous sedation has also been done by chiropractors. The most controversial version is the Oolo-Austin Trigenics (OAT) Procedure. Due to aggressive marketing desperate frozen shoulder patients have traveled to other countries for the painful and expensive OAT Procedure. There are published pilot study suggesting benefit, but more research is needed.

At least 6 months of non-invasive treatments are recommended prior to surgical intervention or manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) which involves forceful movement of the arm in the operating room resulting in rupture of the joint capsule. Potential complications of MUA include risks of general anesthesia, proximal humeral fracture, brachial plexus nerve palsy, tearing of the capsule and glenohumeral ligaments, rotator cuff tears, and labral tears. MUA does not produce lasting results in diabetics. Arthroscopic capsular release involves surgical dissection of the joint lining, and risks include damage to the axillary nerve, shoulder instability, dislocations, and loss of joint cartilage. Surgery is a last resort.

Chinese Medicine:  There has been some success using acupuncture for frozen shoulder, but results vary according to the approach being used and the skill of the practitioner. Small sterile needles are placed into acupoints on the meridians to unblock the flow of qi through the area of symptoms. The needling usually only causes mild discomfort, and the risks are minimal. The choice of acupoints depends on the style of acupuncture ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine to Japanese to Korean to French Energetic to Chinese Five Element training. Needles may be put near the shoulder or in other extremities remote from the site of pain. Up to 6 sessions may be required for long term benefits, although sometimes there is relief from pain after just a few treatments. Some acupuncturists are also trained in the use of Chinese herbs which are taken over a period of weeks in the form of a tea. The herbal formulas are custom-tailored to the particular patient and are complementary to the acupuncture treatments in reducing inflammation and unblocking the flow of qi. Acupuncture is only covered by insurance in a few states.

Case report:  My initial understanding of emotional triggers for frozen shoulder came from my acupuncture teacher Dr. Michael Greenwood at the Victoria Pain Clinic in British Columbia. He developed an approach to heal chronic pain called acupuncture-bodywork using a few strategically-placed acupuncture needles in the hands and feet that are stimulated vigorously resulting in temporary hyperventilation.  This process can cause rapid healing due to emotional release.

Debbie was a 45-year-old woman who developed a frozen right shoulder shortly after what appeared to be a minor strain lifting a heavy stack of linen at work. When she came there was little sign of any improvement. She held the arm across her chest, refused to use it for even minor things, and complained that it hurt with minimal movement. In that regard she exhibited a strange resignation almost as though she’d given up. During an acupuncture-bodywork session, the patient spent several minutes violently hitting a pillow with her injured arm. Later, she revealed that she had imagined punishing her abusive ex-husband. After emerging from the altered state, the patient was astonished to realize that she had been using the purported frozen shoulder.

Next Class: What self-healing techniques can you use? it makes sense to explore these prior to investing time and money in professional treatments which can be painful and have associated risks. Many of the approaches described in the 3^rd class are relatively inexpensive and safe. We will discuss nutritional approaches like anti-inflammatory diets and supplements, homeopathy, mind-body methods such as qi gong, meditation and expressive writing, as well as EFT, self-hypnosis and dreamwork. In the final class I will present my Ultimate Healing Combination as a practical way to pull all these approaches together for optimal healing benefits.

Private Facebook group:  Please click on the link to join, so you can post comments and questions to which I will respond either online or in the next video classes.  I look forward to your feedback. See you in a couple days on the next video. Thanks, Larry