Authored by Dr Harsh Sharma, Edited and Peer Reviewed by Dr. Pooja Sharma

Published September 20, 2023, Last updated September 20, 2023

Frozen shoulder causes pain, swelling and loss of range of motion of the shoulder joint. The following 5 homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder are very effective-

1.  Ledum Pal
2.  Rhus Tox
3.  Sanguinaria
4.  Ferrum Met
5.  Hepar Sulph

What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a condition in which there is pain and stiffness in the shoulder. It restricts the movement of the shoulder joint. One is not able to move the arm freely. Before we come to the best homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder, let us understand a little more about the problem.

It can occur after an injury to the shoulder. Overuse of the shoulder joint as in sports or prolific computer use can also cause this problem. Presence of diabetes or stroke can also be a reason for a frozen shoulder. In most cases, it usually affects one shoulder joint. It is uncommon though not rare for both shoulders to get involved.

What happens in a frozen shoulder?

The joint becomes stiff and loses its free range of movement. This occurs due to inflammation around the joint. The tissues around the shoulder joint become stiff. Scar tissue forms around the shoulder joint. This causes pain on moving the shoulder. It restricts the movement and it is difficult to raise the arm or bring it to one’s back.

Frozen shoulder is different from arthritis and should not be confused with any form of arthritis. There is no relation between frozen shoulder and arthritis. The frozen shoulder restricts itself to the shoulder joint while arthritis may involve more than one joint or multiple joints. This does not mean that both cannot be present in one patient at the same time.

What causes frozen shoulder?

Medical science does not fully understand the cause of frozen shoulder. There are certain conditions that are associated with the presence of frozen shoulder. Extensive use of the shoulder joint as well as immobilisation of the shoulder joint for some length of time have been known to be associated with presence of frozen shoulder. This can happen to people who have had a surgery or an injury to the arm. Presence of diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s and cardiac disease are also associated with frozen shoulder.

The shoulder joint consisting of the bones, ligaments and the tendons is present in a capsule. This capsule can thicken due to inflammation. This restricts the movement. There is pain in the shoulder joint too and this pain may further restrict the movement of the joint.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder

The most common symptoms of a frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness. The pain may be dull and aching in nature. The stiffness of the shoulder joint tends to disable movement of the shoulder joint. The pain may be located just in the shoulder joint or travel down the arm. There are 3 stages of a frozen shoulder-

1. Painful stage – This is the first stage when the shoulder starts paining. There is stiffness of the shoulder joint and restriction of movement. The patient finds it difficult to raise the arm or bend the arm backwards. Pain is usually worse at night. This stage may remain from 6 weeks to months.

2. Frozen stage or the adhesive stage – The shoulder becomes almost immobile. Range of movement is restricted quite a bit. The pain in the shoulder may improve a bit or remain the same. This stage is likely to remain for 4-6 months.

3. Thawing stage – Over a period of time, the pain reduces and the range of movement improves a bit. Return to normal or full strength of the shoulder joint takes 6 months to a year.

Treatment of Frozen Shoulder

The allopathic system of treatment uses painkillers to manage the pain associated with frozen shoulder. Often allopathic doctors give steroidal injections in the shoulder joint to reduce inflammation. These measures are just temporary. They provide relief only for a short time. If these measures also fail, the next option is that of surgery. During surgery, the surgeon loosens up the tight tissue.

Preventing Frozen shoulder

It is important that one keeps on using the shoulder joint to keep it in fine fettle. The full range of motion of the joint needs to be done daily. Rotatory movements of the shoulder joint, stretching the arm to one’s back and raising the arm above the head are important. One should do all these movements daily, even if a little.

Homeopathic treatment of frozen shoulder

People often underestimate the role of homeopathy for frozen shoulder. They are unaware of the benefits that homeopathy can provide in cases of frozen shoulder. Homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder can relieve pain and also improve the range of movement of the shoulder joint. Homeopathy relieves the inflammation of the shoulder joint. This provides relief to all attendant symptoms of frozen shoulder.

5 best Homeopathic Medicines for frozen shoulder

The complete list of the homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder is beyond the scope of this article. At the same time, some of the homeopathic medicines are very effective in frozen shoulder. These are more frequently indicated too as per symptoms of the patients. Doctors have tried and tested all these 5 best homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder thousands of times. I am saying this from my personal experience in the last 2 decades.

The 5 best Homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder are –

1. Ledum Pal – best medicine for frozen shoulder with pain increasing on raising the arm

2.Rhus Tox – best remedy for frozen shoulder with pain better by motion

3. Sanguinaria – best treatment for frozen shoulder with pain aggravated while turning in bed

4. Ferr Met – best medicine for frozen shoulder with pain aggravated by putting the arm behind him.

5. Hepar Sulph – best homeopathic medicine for frozen shoulder with pain relieved by external warmth

I am giving a brief description of the above mentioned homeopathic medicines below. This is not an exhaustive list. One often needs other medicines for the treatment of frozen shoulder. At the same time, the description of the medicines is also indicative and does not include all the symptoms that are used to decide the right medicine.

1. Ledum Pal – best homeopathic medicine for frozen shoulder with aggravation of pain on raising the arm

There is a sense of pressure in the affected shoulder joint. This feeling  worsens by movement. The shoulder is swollen, hot and pale. One feels throbbing pain in the shoulder joint. The pains are worse in the warmth of bed and cold applications relieve the pains.

2. Rhus Tox- the best homeopathic medicine for frozen shoulder with pain better by movement

There is stiffness of the shoulder joint. Moving for a while relieves the pain. There may be numbness and formication which increases after any exertion. The affected shoulder joint and the arm feel weak and powerless. The pains tend to be worse at night and after rest. The pain may have started after lifting or any exertion of the arm.

3. Sanguinaria – one of the best homeopathic remedies for frozen shoulder with pain worse while turning in bed

The pain in the shoulder joint increases at night. It is even worse while turning in bed. It affects the right shoulder most commonly. Along with the right shoulder, it affects the nape of neck and the left hip joint also. There is burning in the palms and soles of feet.

4. Ferrum Met- one of the best homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder with pain increased by putting the arm behind him

It is one of the best homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder or any sort of rheumatic pain in the shoulder. It is best for young patients who are otherwise physically weak. The patient is usually anaemic and tends to flush easily. There is coldness of the limbs, hands and feet. The patient and his body are sensitive to any sort of exertion. The skin is pale and often there is flushing of the skin. The muscles are flabby and relaxed.

5. Hepar Sulph- one of the best homeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder with pain better by external warmth

The characteristic of this medicine is that application of external warmth relieves the pain. The patient is usually very sensitive to all external impressions like cold air, noise, touch and any irritation. There is feeling as if wind was blowing on the affected shoulder joint.