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History of stiff shoulders

Updated: Nov 18


A woman tapes her shoulder due to pain

Stiff shoulders have been a problem since ancient times.

The history of stiff shoulders and back pain is very old, and it is said to be the fate of human beings who started bipedal walking.

A deformed hip bone found in the agricultural ruins of ancient Syria, which is said to have prospered around 2900 BC, is said to have caused back pain. That is the beginning of the stiff shoulders and back pain that can be confirmed now.


It is believed that stiff shoulders and lower back pain began to increase rapidly after humans abandoned the hunting lifestyle of chasing prey and began to engage in hard labor in farming.


Nail marks caused by stiff shoulders and back pain can be seen all over the world. Neolithic sites in northern China have found needle-pointed stones intended to stimulate acupuncture points.


In the Babylonian era around 1000 BC, edible plants, water, cinnamon juice, milk, etc. were added to make a paste, which was then applied to the skin. In Greece around the 4th century B.C., it is said that the father of ancient Greek medicine, Hippocrates, and his followers created poultices.


At that time, sports such as the ancient Olympics were held actively, and massages and external agents such as poultices evolved to care for the athletes' bodies.





During the Middle Ages, various treatments were tried.

In the 600s, during the Tang Dynasty of China, moxibustion and acupuncture points developed greatly. In Japan, during the Nara period, the Yoro Code, which was created by revising the Taiho Ritsuryo Code, actively encouraged the use of massaging therapy called Anma.


Japan's oldest medical book, Ishinpo, written in the Heian period, states that if you cut crude drugs into small pieces and cover them with bamboo strips, you can apply them to the affected area to heal wounds. is considered to fall under During the Warring States period, a mixture of herbal medicine and sesame oil was applied to Japanese paper.


Industrial development is the cause of stiff shoulders

1760s. Even though human labor has been reduced by the industrial revolution, stiff shoulders and back pain are increasing! "The reason is that I have fewer opportunities to train my muscles." After that, automobiles spread! "Sadly, back pain and stiff shoulders are destined to increase."


In the early 1900s, a muddy ship was made in the United States, and in the 1970s to Japan. Based on that, the current patch was developed. Stress is one of the major factors, and it contributes greatly to stiff shoulders and back pain in modern people.


By the way, in 1910, Soseki Natsume wrote a passage in "The Gate", which states, "When I pressed it with my finger, the part of the neck and shoulders that was slightly closer to the back was stiff like a stone." According to one theory, the word ``stiff shoulders'' was coined by Soseki Natsume. Before that, there was no term for stiff shoulders in Japan. It is said that the birth of this word caused many Japanese to become aware of the symptoms of stiffening of the shoulder muscles.





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