In the winter of 1950, during the height of the Korean War (六二五戰爭 1950-1953), a young man from Yamaguchi Prefecture(山口県) Japan(日本國) who was working for an American company in Tokyo(東京) Japan, was transferred to Busan(釜山 駐在員 発令) which was then the temporary capital(臨時首都)of Korea. At that time, Korea imported American military supplies (軍需品) from Japan through the Port of Busan.
There, He met the woman of his destiny. He fell in love with a Korean woman and they promised to marry. However, As an only daughter (一人娘), her parents opposed the arrangement, and the young man's nationality was the reason for their opposition. At the time, Not long after the end of the Japanese colonial period (日本統治時代), feelings between the two countries were not good and Japan and Korea had not yet established diplomatic relations, making travel between the two extremely difficult. However, the young man persevered, learning Korean(韓國語) and convincingly persuading her parents for several months. Finally, they received their consent, and the couple finally married in Busan in 1952, during the Korean War.
After the armistice(休戰) of the Korean War, the couple founded a Japanese(日本傳統) tsukemono (漬物) company. With the help of his parents-in-law(丈人), they became the exclusive supplier of tsukemono to military bases (軍部隊) and prisons (刑務所) across South Korea, making a fortune. In the 1970s, they even opened the first hotel in Masan (馬山) with an elevator, and the business prospered rapidly. He moved from Busan to Seoul(ソウル) and expanded his business in earnest. He also invited his younger siblings in Japan to Korea and diversified into the auto parts(自動車部品) business. The couple had a son and 3 daughters and lived happily ever after. The auto parts company is still in business, while the tsukemono food company and hotel have closed.
The above story is the love story of my maternal grandfather and grandmother. (母方の祖父母) My maternal grandfather (母方の祖父) always loved enka (演歌) music, and I still vividly remember him singing "Misora Hibari's (美空 ひばり) one way on Life (人生一路)", "Miyako Harumi's (都 はるみ) Inn in the North (北の宿から)" and "Kizuna(絆)" by Hashi Yukio(橋幸夫). Before he passed away, my grandfather always complained of his shoulder pain.
Today, I'll explain chiropractic approach method for shoulder pain.
The reality of frozen shoulder (五十肩 實體)
Many people who experience shoulder pain or difficulty moving their shoulder self-diagnose (自己診断) themselves as having frozen shoulder. The term "frozen shoulder" simply refers to a shoulder condition that occurs in people over 50, and is not a precise diagnosis.
In English, it's called "frozen shoulder," but this simply refers to the inability to use the shoulder due to pain. Because the causes are diverse, it's not an accurate diagnosis.
Frozen shoulder is called adhesive capsulitis (癒着性関節包炎).
Frozen shoulder is characterized by chronic(慢性) pain in the shoulder, back of the neck, and arm, which is worse at night, reduced shoulder joint mobility due to pain, and further reduced shoulder joint mobility when the temperature drops.
Symptoms of frozen shoulder can be broadly divided into three stages.
The first stage involves the gradual onset of shoulder pain, lasting from one to nine months. The second stage involves increasing shoulder pain and progressively reducing shoulder joint mobility, lasting from four to nine months. While the pain gradually subsides, stiffness persists. The final stage involves gradual improvement in symptoms, which can last from five months to several years.
In short, even after identifying the cause and initiating treatment, frozen shoulder is a condition that often progresses slowly, leading to depression(憂鬱症) and a tendency to discontinue treatment(治療中斷). This presents a significant challenge for both patients (患者) and physicians (醫師).
Once symptoms begin, treatment should begin quickly.
Most patients wait for shoulder pain to subside by resting or applying a pain patch(湿布).
However, this is tantamount to exacerbating the condition, and patients often seek medical attention only when symptoms render their shoulder immobile, making treatment more difficult. Furthermore, because frozen shoulder typically resolves over time, some patients wait without treatment, believing they will recover if they wait.
However, even if the pain subsides, the underlying cause remains unaddressed, often leading to problems in the other shoulder or more severe complications. It's crucial to seek professional advice and begin treatment at the first sign of symptoms.
Causes of frozen shoulder
Causes of frozen shoulder include problems with the shoulder joint or surrounding muscles after an accident (事故), side effects (サイドエフェクト) or complications (合併症) after surgery, or sudden onset for no reason (理由もなく).
Most of the patients who visit my Clinic suddenly start experiencing shoulder pain one day for no particular reason, and many of them think that it is a natural part of aging. However, when I examine them through X-rays, I often find that many of them have degenerative(退行性) arthritis, such as a herniated disc, in the cervical (頸椎) or thoracic spine (胸椎).
Some patients ask me how shoulder problems can start from the neck.
If we compare the human body to a building, the spine(脊椎) acts as a main beam, and the shoulder joint is the structure connected to the main beam.
The shoulder joint is made up of the clavicle (鎖骨) attached to the sternum (胸骨), the scapula (肩甲骨) attached between the 2nd to 7th ribs (肋骨), and the humerus (上腕骨). It is surrounded by muscles and is controlled by nerves (神経) coming from the neck, so if there is a problem with the neck, it is only a matter of time before the shoulder is affected, like a domino effect (ドミノ効果).
Korean men must fulfill their military service by enlisting in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. 27 years ago, when I was serving in the Korean Army (陸軍), my maternal granddad(1928-2004), grandmom(1932-2025), mom (お母さん) and younger brother(弟) came to visit me at the unit I was serving in (筆者 服務 軍部隊 面会).
(Left)My grandfather is wearing my combat hat.
In the winter of 1950, during the height of the Korean War (六二五戰爭 1950-1953), a young man from Yamaguchi Prefecture(山口県) Japan(日本國) who was working for an American company in Tokyo(東京) Japan, was transferred to Busan(釜山 駐在員 発令) which was then the temporary capital(臨時首都)of Korea. At that time, Korea imported American military supplies (軍需品) from Japan through the Port of Busan.
There, He met the woman of his destiny. He fell in love with a Korean woman and they promised to marry. However, As an only daughter (一人娘), her parents opposed the arrangement, and the young man's nationality was the reason for their opposition. At the time, Not long after the end of the Japanese colonial period (日本統治時代), feelings between the two countries were not good and Japan and Korea had not yet established diplomatic relations, making travel between the two extremely difficult. However, the young man persevered, learning Korean(韓國語) and convincingly persuading her parents for several months. Finally, they received their consent, and the couple finally married in Busan in 1952, during the Korean War.
After the armistice(休戰) of the Korean War, the couple founded a Japanese(日本傳統) tsukemono (漬物) company. With the help of his parents-in-law(丈人), they became the exclusive supplier of tsukemono to military bases (軍部隊) and prisons (刑務所) across South Korea, making a fortune. In the 1970s, they even opened the first hotel in Masan (馬山) with an elevator, and the business prospered rapidly. He moved from Busan to Seoul(ソウル) and expanded his business in earnest. He also invited his younger siblings in Japan to Korea and diversified into the auto parts(自動車部品) business. The couple had a son and 3 daughters and lived happily ever after. The auto parts company is still in business, while the tsukemono food company and hotel have closed.
The above story is the love story of my maternal grandfather and grandmother. (母方の祖父母) My maternal grandfather (母方の祖父) always loved enka (演歌) music, and I still vividly remember him singing "Misora Hibari's (美空 ひばり) one way on Life (人生一路)", "Miyako Harumi's (都 はるみ) Inn in the North (北の宿から)" and "Kizuna(絆)" by Hashi Yukio(橋幸夫). Before he passed away, my grandfather always complained of his shoulder pain.
Today, I'll explain chiropractic approach method for shoulder pain.
The reality of frozen shoulder (五十肩 實體)
Many people who experience shoulder pain or difficulty moving their shoulder self-diagnose (自己診断) themselves as having frozen shoulder. The term "frozen shoulder" simply refers to a shoulder condition that occurs in people over 50, and is not a precise diagnosis.
In English, it's called "frozen shoulder," but this simply refers to the inability to use the shoulder due to pain. Because the causes are diverse, it's not an accurate diagnosis.
Frozen shoulder is called adhesive capsulitis (癒着性関節包炎).
Frozen shoulder is characterized by chronic(慢性) pain in the shoulder, back of the neck, and arm, which is worse at night, reduced shoulder joint mobility due to pain, and further reduced shoulder joint mobility when the temperature drops.
Symptoms of frozen shoulder can be broadly divided into three stages.
The first stage involves the gradual onset of shoulder pain, lasting from one to nine months. The second stage involves increasing shoulder pain and progressively reducing shoulder joint mobility, lasting from four to nine months. While the pain gradually subsides, stiffness persists. The final stage involves gradual improvement in symptoms, which can last from five months to several years.
In short, even after identifying the cause and initiating treatment, frozen shoulder is a condition that often progresses slowly, leading to depression(憂鬱症) and a tendency to discontinue treatment(治療中斷). This presents a significant challenge for both patients (患者) and physicians (醫師).
Once symptoms begin, treatment should begin quickly.
Most patients wait for shoulder pain to subside by resting or applying a pain patch(湿布).
However, this is tantamount to exacerbating the condition, and patients often seek medical attention only when symptoms render their shoulder immobile, making treatment more difficult. Furthermore, because frozen shoulder typically resolves over time, some patients wait without treatment, believing they will recover if they wait.
However, even if the pain subsides, the underlying cause remains unaddressed, often leading to problems in the other shoulder or more severe complications. It's crucial to seek professional advice and begin treatment at the first sign of symptoms.
Causes of frozen shoulder
Causes of frozen shoulder include problems with the shoulder joint or surrounding muscles after an accident (事故), side effects (サイドエフェクト) or complications (合併症) after surgery, or sudden onset for no reason (理由もなく).
Most of the patients who visit my Clinic suddenly start experiencing shoulder pain one day for no particular reason, and many of them think that it is a natural part of aging. However, when I examine them through X-rays, I often find that many of them have degenerative(退行性) arthritis, such as a herniated disc, in the cervical (頸椎) or thoracic spine (胸椎).
Some patients ask me how shoulder problems can start from the neck.
If we compare the human body to a building, the spine(脊椎) acts as a main beam, and the shoulder joint is the structure connected to the main beam.
The shoulder joint is made up of the clavicle (鎖骨) attached to the sternum (胸骨), the scapula (肩甲骨) attached between the 2nd to 7th ribs (肋骨), and the humerus (上腕骨). It is surrounded by muscles and is controlled by nerves (神経) coming from the neck, so if there is a problem with the neck, it is only a matter of time before the shoulder is affected, like a domino effect (ドミノ効果).
Korean men must fulfill their military service by enlisting in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. 27 years ago, when I was serving in the Korean Army (陸軍), my maternal granddad(1928-2004), grandmom(1932-2025), mom (お母さん) and younger brother(弟) came to visit me at the unit I was serving in (筆者 服務 軍部隊 面会).
(Left)My grandfather is wearing my combat hat.