Part 4 of 7 in the "shoulder pain and frozen shoulder" series. The other six are listed at the foot.
The first three parts stayed on the Western side: what frozen shoulder is, how it happens, what else it could be. This part changes accounts — how TCM theory understands this shoulder pain.
One thing to settle first: what follows is how a theoretical framework classifies, not a diagnosis of you. The diagnosis is in part 1, and it belongs to a doctor.
The short version
- Classical TCM files this kind of shoulder pain under the name 漏肩风 (lòu jiān fēng), first recorded in the Qing-dynasty text 《绛囊撮要》 — that is how a registered practitioner's column at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Chinese Medicine puts it.
- The same column summarises the cause as: wind, cold and damp enter the sinews, bones and joints directly, qi and blood are obstructed by them, the channels stop flowing freely, and pain results.
- It also states that this is more common in people over 50 because liver and kidney are depleted and the sinews are under-nourished; "the liver governs the sinew" and "the kidney governs the bones" each have a definition in the same standard.
- The WHO's 2022 international standard terminologies on TCM files this family under bi-impediment disorders, and divides it further into wind-cold-dampness impediment, painful impediment and fixed impediment, each with its own definition.
- Whether it is an impediment pattern at all, and which one, is the practitioner's judgement after seeing you — not something for a reader to match themselves to.
First, the things that cannot wait
Persistent numbness, loss of feeling or marked weakness in the arm or fingers; sudden severe pain, being unable to move the arm, or a change in shape after a fall, blow or clear injury; redness, swelling or heat in the shoulder, or persistent fever — get urgent help, do not wait.
Left shoulder pain with chest tightness, chest pain, breathlessness or a cold sweat — this is an emergency, not a consultation booking. Call 999 now, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
The full list, and the reason for each, are in part 6. TCM and Western medicine complement each other; it is not a choice between them.
A note: this section is general information only. For conditions like these, follow your doctor's diagnosis and treatment, and seek medical attention when you need it.
I. What this kind of shoulder pain is called in TCM
In the classical TCM texts this kind of shoulder pain is filed under the name 漏肩风 (lòu jiān fēng), first recorded in the Qing-dynasty text 《绛囊撮要》 — that is what a registered practitioner at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Chinese Medicine writes in the column. The HKU School of Chinese Medicine column states that TCM calls it 五十肩 ("fifty shoulder") or 冷凝肩 ("cold-congealed shoulder"); everyday speech uses the same names, and locally 肩周炎 ("periarthritis of the shoulder") is common too.
That registered practitioner at CUHK summarises the theory this way: wind, cold and damp enter the sinews, bones and joints directly, qi and blood are obstructed by them, the channels stop flowing freely, and pain results.
The same article continues: it is more common in people over 50 because, in the theory, liver and kidney are depleted and the sinews are under-nourished, so a small exposure to wind and cold, or long-term strain, blocks qi and blood and sets it off.
In plain terms, TCM theory looks at two things: "wind-cold-damp" coming in from outside, and "liver-kidney depletion and under-nourished sinews" from inside (the sinews not receiving enough supply). That is why a consultation asks about air-conditioning, getting chilled, long hours without moving, and long-term strain.
The everyday directions the theory attaches, and where the two accounts meet, are in part 5.
💡 Remember: the above is how the TCM framework classifies, explaining how that framework understands shoulder pain. It is not a diagnosis of you, and it does not replace the medical diagnosis in part 1.
II. What "wind-cold-damp" is in the terminology standard
The WHO's 2022 international standard terminologies on TCM files this family under "bi-impediment disorders": a group of disorders characterised by joint pain, numbness and impaired movement due to wind, cold and dampness or heat attacking the meridians.
Within it, "wind-cold-dampness impediment" is described as migratory muscle or joint soreness, heaviness and pain, which often occurs when wind, cold and dampness affect the joints and muscles and cause qi and blood to stagnate.
The standard divides further. "Painful impediment" (also called cold impediment): joint pain in a fixed position that is exacerbated by cold and alleviated by warmth, often occurring when cold affects the joints. "Fixed impediment" (also called dampness impediment): joint or muscle soreness and pain in a fixed position, sometimes with joint swelling, often occurring when dampness affects the joints.
That is where "keep it warm" comes from in the theory: the cold type of impediment is defined as worse with cold and eased by warmth. Whether it is an impediment pattern at all, and which one, is the practitioner's judgement after seeing you, not something for a reader to match themselves to.
This part gives only the standard's definitions of these entries. It lays out no two-column table of "which pattern goes with which approach" — a separate question, not yet settled, and not in this part.
💡 Remember: these entries are definitions, not a tool for sorting yourself. The standard says what the words mean inside the theory, not which one belongs to whom.
III. Why "liver and kidney"
The phrase quoted in section I — liver and kidney depleted, sinews under-nourished — has entries of its own in the same standard, which states: the liver governs the sinew/tendon and the kidney governs the bones; the liver stores blood, and the blood nourishes the tendons/sinew; the kidney essence generates marrow to nourish bones.
Read together, "liver-kidney depletion and under-nourished sinews" becomes clear: in the theory, the sinews are supplied by way of liver blood and the bones by way of kidney essence; when the supply falls short, the sinews are "under-nourished". (The linking in this paragraph is this article's reading, not the standard's wording.)
Worth noting: the standard's "liver" and "kidney" are names of functions inside the theory, not liver or kidney function on a blood test. The two accounts use the same words for different scopes.
A few terms from this part
One comes from the CUHK School of Chinese Medicine column, five from the WHO's international standard terminologies on TCM. All are phrases you may hear at a consultation.
- 漏肩风 (lòu jiān fēng) — a TCM disease name; the column states it is first recorded in the Qing-dynasty text 《绛囊撮要》. It refers to this kind of shoulder pain.
- Bi-impediment disorders (痹证类病) — the standard's definition: a group of disorders characterised by joint pain, numbness and impaired movement due to wind, cold and dampness or heat attacking the meridians.
- Wind-cold-dampness impediment (风寒湿痹) — the standard's definition: migratory muscle or joint soreness, heaviness and pain, often occurring when wind, cold and dampness affect the joints and muscles and cause qi and blood to stagnate.
- Painful impediment (痛痹, also called cold impediment) — the standard's definition: joint pain in a fixed position that is exacerbated by cold and alleviated by warmth.
- Fixed impediment (着痹, also called dampness impediment) — the standard's definition: joint or muscle soreness and pain in a fixed position, sometimes with joint swelling.
- The liver governs the sinew / the kidney governs the bones (肝主筋、肾主骨) — two of the standard's definitions. It also states the liver stores blood which nourishes the sinews, and kidney essence generates marrow to nourish bones.
Frequently asked
Do I have "wind-cold-dampness impediment"? This part does not answer that, and does not intend you to either. The standard gives definitions, not a matching table; whether it is an impediment pattern and which one is something a practitioner can only say after seeing you. What you can prepare is the description: where it hurts, whether the place is fixed, whether cold or warmth makes a difference, and whether there is swelling.
Are these names diagnoses? They are category names inside TCM theory. The medical diagnosis is a separate account, in part 1 — the two use different words for different scopes, and this article does not splice them into one.
Better not to: take one of these definitions as a label for yourself and then plan around that label.
The other six parts
- Part 1: What frozen shoulder is, and who tends to get it
- Part 2: How it happens, and what the exam tests
- Part 3: What else it could be: five directions in one table
- Part 5: What the theory advises, and heat
- Part 6: When to see a doctor first
- Part 7: What an online consultation can do, and what else to tell it
👉 If you are not sure "where my shoulder should go next", you are welcome to bring it to an online consultation with HansMed, where a practitioner registered under the T&CM Act 2016 can assess it; if you do not yet have a firm diagnosis, or if anything in this part's "the things that cannot wait" or in part 6 applies, see a doctor first. In-person consultations are coming soon.
Sit with a licensed TCM practitioner from wherever you are.
HansMed Modern TCM
For general wellness education only — not medical advice. Consult a registered TCM practitioner for personal guidance.
Sources
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Chinese Medicine, 〈浅谈「漏肩风」〉, by registered TCM practitioner 颜杰, Sky Post column, 16 November 2017 — https://www.scm.cuhk.edu.hk/zh-tw/news-and-literature/articles/articles-skypost-list/295-2017-11-16/
- The University of Hong Kong, School of Chinese Medicine, 〈肩周炎竟然可以自癒？〉, by TCM practitioner 康宇辰, am730 column, 4 August 2025 — https://www.med.hku.hk/zh-hk/media/knowledge-exchange/newspaper-columns/2025/aug/am730_20250804
- World Health Organization, WHO international standard terminologies on traditional Chinese medicine, 2022, entries 60, 134, 143, 167, 1796, 1797, 1799, 1800 — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240042322
