Frozen Shoulder - Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Frozen Shoulder · Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Shoulder

Pattern Overview

Liver-Kidney Deficiency is a degenerative pattern in frozen shoulder, characterized by degenerative changes with limited range of motion, chronic ache, weakness, and aggravation with overwork. The core pathogenesis is insufficient nourishment of the shoulder tendons and bones by Liver Blood and Kidney Essence, leading to degenerative changes and chronic pain.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

| :— | :— |

| Primary Symptoms | Chronic shoulder pain, limited range of motion, weakness, worse with overwork |

| Associated Symptoms | Soreness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, fatigue |

| Tongue and Pulse | Pale red tongue with little coating, thready and weak pulse |

| Pathogenesis | Liver-Kidney deficiency failing to nourish the shoulder tendons and bones |

| Etiology | Aging, chronic overuse, constitutional weakness |

Acupuncture Point Prescription

| Point | Location | Function |

| :— | :— | :— |

| BL23 Shenshu | Lower back, 1.5 cun lateral to L2 | Tonifies Kidney Qi and Essence |

| GB34 Yanglingquan | Depression below the head of the fibula | Master point for tendons; strengthens muscles |

| LI15 Jianyu | On the shoulder, in the depression between the acromion and the greater tubercle | Key point for shoulder pain; unblocks the shoulder meridian |

| KI3 Taixi | Depression between medial malleolus and Achilles tendon | Source point of Kidney meridian; nourishes Kidney Yin |

Clinical Recommendation: Filiform needle, reinforcing method; moxibustion may be applied to Shenshu and Taixi to warm and tonify.

Herbal Formula

Base Formula: Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang (独活寄生汤)

Composition:

Angelica pubescens (Du Huo), Loranthus (Sang Ji Sheng), Eucommia (Du Zhong), Achyranthes (Niu Xi), Angelica (Dang Gui), Chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong), Rehmannia (Shu Di), White Peony (Bai Shao), Ginseng (Ren Shen), Poria (Fu Ling), Licorice (Gan Cao), Saposhnikovia (Fang Feng), Gentiana (Qin Jiao), Asarum (Xi Xin), Cinnamon (Rou Gui)

Action: Tonifies Liver and Kidney, strengthens tendons and bones, and relieves pain.

Modifications

| Associated Symptoms | Additions/Subtractions |

| :— | :— |

| Severe shoulder pain | Add Jiang Huang, Sang Zhi to relieve shoulder pain |

| Back and knee soreness | Add Du Zhong, Xu Duan to strengthen the lower back |

| Fatigue and weakness | Add Huang Qi, Dang Shen to supplement Qi |

Western Mechanism Reference

Degenerative with limited ROM, cartilage degeneration, and reduced tendon elasticity. Liver-Kidney Deficiency corresponds to frozen shoulder in older patients, where age-related degeneration and reduced tissue elasticity contribute to capsular fibrosis.

References

  1. Textbook Standard.

  2. WHO. (2023). Musculoskeletal pain. World Health Organization.

Explore More

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