Background: Frozen shoulder (FS) is characterized by shoulder pain and restricted movement of the shoulder joint. While it tends to resolve on its own, it significantly affects an individual quality of daily life. The pure acupotomy technique employs needle-knife manipulation as the sole treatment, without the use of medications, such as steroids or vitamins, and local anesthesia if necessary. It aims to restore soft tissue mechanical balance and circulation through techniques such as cutting and stripping, creating a "gap effect." This technique can rapidly, safely, and effectively relieve functional impairments in patients with FS. This article presents a case study of the successful treatment of FS using a purely needle-knife technique.
Patient concerns: The patient, aged 57 years, presented with chronic pain in the right shoulder, which was particularly aggravated at night, and moderate limitations in joint mobility.
Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with periarthritis of the right shoulder (moderate FS, frozen period), type 2 diabetes, and supraspinatus tendinitis of the right shoulder.
Interventions: Conventional treatments, such as topical analgesics and acupuncture, produced insignificant improvements in symptoms. So, the patient chose acupotomy treatment and signed the treatment consent form.
Outcomes: After undergoing one minimally invasive acupotomy treatment, the patient experienced immediate restoration of normal shoulder joint mobility and a significant reduction in pain intensity 3 days post-treatment.
Lessons: We believe that utilizing a purely acupotomy treatment for passive functional impairments in FS not only yields good results but also saves patients time and reduces their financial burden. This is worth promoting extensively in clinical practice.
Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.