Cupping treatment for shoulder pain
Most chronic shoulder pain is caused by tendon inflammation (bursitis or tendinitis) or degenerative changes in the tendons due to advancing age, long-term overuse and wear and tear. The typical symptoms and signs are:
1. cannot lie on painful or affected side
2. wake up frequently during night because of the pain
3. restricted shoulder movement
Treatment of shoulder pain could include natural therapy (e.g. acupuncture, massage and cupping,) or injections and surgery. In this article I will discuss cupping treatment.
The principles of cupping treatment:
Some researchers have found that cupping can produce localised negative pressure and heat. Negative pressure causes local changes in capillary permeability and capillary rupture and a small amount of blood into the interstitial space. Thermal stimulation can make blood vessels dilate, promoting blood circulation.?According to this theory, cupping treatment matches several characteristic changes with inflammatory response: vasodilation, increased permeability of the blood vessel wall and blood cell components into the tissue space.Therefore, the basic principle of cupping treatment is that using cupping in the area of local inflammation or a similar inflammation response, stimulates the self-healing process.
Position of cupping:
The cup usually located at the tender area point around the shoulder. Common positions are:
Anterior of the shoulder joint: lateral underneath of coracoid process, and anterior portion of deltoid and the anatomy of this region includes the coracobrachialis, the biceps tendon short head, the pectoralis major, the pectoralis minor muscle, the subcoracoid bursa, the subscapularis, and the subscapularis bursa.
Lateral of shoulder joint: Underneath the lateral border of the acromion process, and the anatomy of this region includes the middle portion of deltoid, the head of the biceps tendon, the subacromial bursa, and the subdeltoid bursa.
Posterior portion: Underneath the acromion, the posterior of the humeral head, and the anatomy of this region includes the posterior portion of deltoid, the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus and the teres minor.
If the shoulder pain is referred down the arm, there should be another two extra cups placed on the deltoid tuberosity and the epicondylus lateralis humeri.
Cupping Time: Normally cups should be left on about twenty minutes, but if there is blister appearance, cups must be taken off immediately.
Clinical Observation:
Cure: asymptomatic, function returned to normal
Marked improvement: The symptoms and shoulder activity has improved significantly, but the shoulder is not completely back to normal activity
Effective improvement: symptoms are minimised, but there is no significant improvement in joint activities
No improvement: no change in symptoms and signs
Case Study:
Karen, a female, 50 -year-old, came to my clinic on July 10th 2014. Her main complaint was pain in the right shoulder for the past five months and was unable to undo the bra. She could not sleep on her right side and woke frequently at night due to the pain. Her history of trauma, revealed that in February 2014 she fell over while she was skiing. The x ray showed no fracture; the ultrasound examination found no significant tendon tears. A medical check found that her right shoulder movement was restricted especially on the arm internal rotation, with the shoulder joint extension and adduction position. She had had two injection treatments in March and May, but the symptoms and signs did not improve. Based on the patient's medical history and physical examination, the patient was recommended to undergo cupping therapy. After the first cupping treatment, the patient felt the right shoulder loosen up immediately.
The pictures were taken on first day (10/07/2014) of the cupping treatment:
Picture 1, is the normal left shoulder
Picture 2 is the right shoulder before treatment
Picture 3 is the right shoulder after treatment
After the second treatment, the patient felt symptoms improved significantly, the waking up from the pain reduced in frequency from more than ten times to three or four times. After the third treatment, the symptoms disappeared and the patient was able to sleep through the night on the right shoulder.
After the fifth treatment (04/08/2014,) the patient’s right shoulder was almost as good as the left shoulder.
After the sixth treatment (18/08/2014), both the left and right shoulder range of movement was the same.
Summary:
Cupping therapy is a simple, easy natural choice as a remedy for certain chronic shoulder pain that has a significant positive effect, especially in the case of shoulder pain that is very tender and where injections have proved ineffective.
From April 2009 to December 2014, I have treated a total of 61 cases of patients with chronic shoulder pain, the success rate being above 95%. There are 37 cases where patients were cured, and 18 cases where there was a marked improvement .It should be noted that, less success was among patients who only came once or twice. Cupping therapy appears to work faster than other treatments. In some cases, after only one treatment, the patients’ feel a reduction in their symptoms and the majority of patients after three treatments will greatly improve their symptoms. |
