Shoulder pain according to Chinese Medicine
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Shoulder pain can be the consequence of several so-called “patterns of disharmony” in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted, leading to symptoms or signs that something is wrong (like shoulder pain here). It is similar to the concept of disease in Western Medicine but not quite: a Western disease can often be explained by several Chinese patterns and vice-versa.
A pattern often manifests itself in a combination of symptoms that, at first glance, do not seem necessarily related to each others. For instance here shoulder pain is often associated with lumbar pain, knee pain and elbow pain in the pattern “Painful Obstruction”.
Once identified, patterns are treated using medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and other therapies. In the case of shoulder pain we’ve identified three herbal formulas that may help treat patterns behind the symptom.
We’ve also selected below the five medicinal herbs that we think are most likely to help treat shoulder pain.
Painful Obstruction, a "pattern of disharmony" that can cause shoulder pain
In Chinese Medicine shoulder pain is a symptom for the pattern "Painful Obstruction". Below is a small explanation for it with links for more details.
Prepared Sichuan Aconite (Zhi Chuan Wu) is the king ingredient for Wu Tou Tang, a formula used for Painful Obstruction
Painful Obstruction
Pulse type(s): Tight (Jin), Wiry (Xian)
In addition to shoulder pain, other symptoms associated with Painful Obstruction include lumbar pain, knee pain and elbow pain.
Painful Obstruction is often treated with Wu Tou Tang, a herbal formula made of 6 herbs (including Prepared Sichuan Aconite - Zhi Chuan Wu - as a key herb). Wu Tou Tang belongs to the category of "formulas that warm the meridians and disperse cold", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Warms the channels and remove obstruaction".
Three herbal formulas that might help with shoulder pain
Wu Tou Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 6 herbs
Key actions: Warms the channels and remove obstruaction. Disperse Cold and Dampness. Warms the joints. Relieve joints pain.
Why might Wu Tou Tang help with shoulder pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Painful Obstruction' of which shoulder pain is a symptom.
Da Fang Feng Tang
Source date: 1107 AD
Number of ingredients: 14 herbs
Key actions: Expel Wind Damp. Relieve pain. Tonify the Liver and the Kidneys. Tonify the Blood and Qi.
Why might Da Fang Feng Tang help with shoulder pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Painful Obstruction' of which shoulder pain is a symptom.
Xiao Huo Luo Dan
Source date: 1107 AD
Number of ingredients: 6 herbs
Key actions: Dispels Wind. Eliminates Dampness and transforms Phlegm . Invigorates the Blood. Removes Stagnation and relieves pain.
Why might Xiao Huo Luo Dan help with shoulder pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Painful Obstruction' of which shoulder pain is a symptom.
Acupuncture points used for shoulder pain
The five Chinese Medicinal herbs most likely to help treat shoulder pain
Why might Milkvetch Root (Huang Qi) help with shoulder pain?
Because Milkvetch Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat shoulder pain as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Da Fang Feng Tang for instance.
Milkvetch Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Lung and the Spleen.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Wei Qi and stops perspiration. Tonifies the Spleen Qi and the Yang Qi of the Earth Element. Tonifies the Qi and Blood. Expels pus and assists in the healing of wounds. Helps to regulate water metabolism in the body and reduce edema.
Why might Prepared Sichuan Aconite (Zhi Chuan Wu) help with shoulder pain?
Because Prepared Sichuan Aconite is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat shoulder pain as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Xiao Huo Luo Dan for instance.
Prepared Sichuan Aconite is a Hot herb that tastes Bitter and Pungent. It targets the Spleen, the Heart, the Kidney and the Liver.
Its main actions are: Dispels Wind and Dampness. Warms the meridians and relieves pain caused by Cold
Why might Liquorice (Gan Cao) help with shoulder pain?
Because Liquorice is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat shoulder pain as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Da Fang Feng Tang for instance.
Liquorice is a Neutral herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Heart, the Lung, the Spleen and the Stomach.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Basal Qi and nourishes the Spleen Qi. Clears Heat and dispels toxicity. Moistens the Lungsexpel phlegm and stop coughing. Relieves spasms and alleviates pain. Harmonizes and moderates the effects of other herbs.
Why might White Peony Root (Bai Shao) help with shoulder pain?
Because White Peony Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat shoulder pain as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Da Fang Feng Tang for instance.
White Peony Roots is a Neutral herb that tastes Bitter and Sour. It targets the Liver and the Spleen.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Blood and preserves the Yin. Nourishes the Liver and assists in the smooth flow of Qi. Regulates the meridians and eases the pain.
Why might Prepared Kusnezoffii Aconite (Zhi Cao Wu) help with shoulder pain?
Because it is a key herb in Xiao Huo Luo Dan, a herbal formula indicated to treat the pattern 'Painful Obstruction' (a pattern with shoulder pain as a symptom)
Prepared Kusnezoffii Aconite is a Hot herb that tastes Pungent and Sour. It targets the Spleen, the Kidney and the Liver.
Its main actions are: Disperses Coldness, Wind and Dampness. Relieves obstruction pain in muscles and joints due to Wind, Dampness and Coldness.
Other symptoms often associated with shoulder pain
Lumbar pain Knee pain Elbow pain Ankle pain Joint pain Wrist pain Lumbar spine stiffness Shoulder stiffness Knee stiffness Elbow stiffness