It's a condition called frozen shoulder and it is affecting more young people now.
Also known as stiff shoulder, it is said to be common among those aged 50 and above due to lack of exercise, inactivity of the shoulder joints and weakening of the bone and muscle tissues.
In younger people, frozen shoulder is primarily caused by over-exercise and insufficient warm-up before exercising. It also occurs when they use the wrong techniques in sports which require intensive arm movements such as swimming and racquet sports.
The shoulder, one of the most flexible joints in our bodies, is also very susceptible to injury, said Mr Lim Choon Huat, chairman and founder of Chien Chi Tow Healthcare, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health-care group.
"Young people sometimes go all out when playing sports. They need to remember that their bodies have limits too," he said.
On the other hand, inactivity also causes frozen shoulder in middle-aged men and women.
Frozen shoulder can occur when using the wrong techniques in sports which require intensive arm movements such as tennis.
Mr Lim, who specialises in traditional Chinese massage, or tui na, advised young people to be aware of their limits when it comes to vigorous exercise and middle-aged people to do proper stretching exercises daily.
He said frozen shoulder occurs when the muscle fibres fuse and become inflamed. This causes pain in the shoulder and restricts movement.
"When people feel pain, they don't usually want to move the affected part. This situation can be aggravated if you don't seek treatment," he said, adding that tui na can help bring relief.
He said there are three ways to treat frozen shoulder: stretching the muscles, encouraging movement of the affected joint and massaging various acupressure points.
Mr Lim said that massaging the acupressure points with medicated oil would increase the body's vital energy, or qi in the affected area, so that the body will heal faster and the pain will be reduced. Hot medicated pads placed on the affected area can improve circulation.
In TCM practice, it is believed that there are hundreds of accupressure points along specific interconnected channels, known as meridians, that carry the qi.
Mr Lim said there are four causes of musculoskeletal pain: blocked flow of qi; muscle tension caused by muscle fatigue; fusion of muscle fibre; and misaligned bones after a dislocation or a sports injury.
Wear and tear of the vertebral column (or spine) can also cause pain.
Chien Chi Tow treats frozen shoulder with a hands-on approach, said Mr Lim.
This is because while self-recovery is possible, it usually takes a long time. In some cases, it could become a recurring problem if left untreated.
A diagnosis is first done by professional TCM physicians to determine if the pain is the result of other problems such as a fracture, problems with internal organs or hardening of the muscle tissues due to calcium deposits.
After the problem is identified, Mr Lim will employ tui na. He recommends proper care, with the right joint and muscle stretching exercises.
He said: "Tui na can effectively remove the pain as well as treat the affected areas in order to ensure a quick recovery."
alvin.liwei@gmail.com
This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on September 18, 2008.
