Herbal Shoulder Therapy 

Herbal shoulder therapy is used to address any pain in or around the shoulder joint. Most of the time, pain of the shoulder is caused by conditions that affect the ligaments or tendons near the joint.  The common causes of shoulder pains are: trauma or injury to the shoulder, bursitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, bicipital tendonitis and arthritis.  Shoulder injuries have two major categories: acute and chronic.  Acute shoulder injuries have the following symptoms: redness, swelling, inflammation and sharp pain. Chronic shoulder injuries have stiffness, numbness, discomfort and dull pain.

You can apply immediate care to the affected shoulder area by doing the following therapy: To treat shoulder injuries, after you first feel the shoulder pain, apply ice for 30 minutes then leave it for 15 minutes. Continue this treatment for several hours but do not freeze the skin. Rest is very necessary. You should rest the shoulder for the next few days.  After a few days of rest, slowly begin to strengthen the shoulder muscles.  Doing some light weight lifting with full range of motion is recommended. 

Herbal shoulder therapy for acute shoulder problems involves reducing pain, swelling and muscle spasms.  The herbal shoulder therapy is intended to eliminate painful symptoms at the same time supporting the healing process.  Herbal shoulder therapy consists of strong analgesic herbs such as corydalis combined with anti-spasmodic herbs and blood-invigorating herbs to ease up pain, encourage blood circulation and open the meridian channels. Herbal shoulder therapy for chronic shoulder problems must activate qi and blood circulation, opening the channels and collaterals and nourishing the muscles and tendons. 

In both acute and chronic shoulder conditions, corydalis is the key herb necessary for the herbal shoulder therapy.  This herb, aside from containing strong analgesic properties, also has the capacity to treat both acute and chronic inflammation cases.  Corydalis also protects from NSAID-induced gastric and duodenal ulcers by lowering the gastric acid secretion.  Herbal shoulder therapy formulas that are used to treat shoulder pain include the following:

* Lindera formula
* Atractylodes and arisaema combination treats shoulder disorders but do not have strong analgesic effects.

Some used herbal heat packs for herbal shoulder therapy.  Herbal heat packs that contain a number of herbs for relaxation and treatment purposes such as valerian, peppermint, saw palmetto, lemon grass, lavender, white willow and a host of other herbs which are known for their pain-relieving properties are heated and applied to the affected area.