“Scapular heat penetration” technique of acupuncture in treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis: An exploratory research

Abstract

Objective

To observe the clinical effect of “scapular heat penetration” technique of acupuncture in treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis.

Design

It was a single-central randomized controlled trial, the participants, outcome assessors and statisticians were blinded.

Setting

The trial was undertaken in Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from June 2021 to January 2022.

Participants

Sixty-seven patients with scalpulohumeral periarthritis were participated.

Interventions

In the control group, the routine acupuncture was given, while in the trial group, the “scapular heat penetration” technique of acupuncture was adopted. The intervention was delivered once every two days, 3 treatments a week; and one course included 9 treatments. Before the 1st treatment and after the 9th treatment, the symptoms and physical signs were observed and recorded in each group.

Outcomes

Primary outcome: the score of visual analogy scale (VAS) before treatment and after treatment completion. Secondary outcomes: the range of movement (ROM) of shoulder joint, the score of Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) of shoulder joint and the infrared thermal imaging temperature around the shoulder.

Results

A total of 102 cases were collected, 72 cases of them were eligible and 5 cases were withdrawn. Sixty-seven cases were included in analysis. In the within-group comparison, VAS score, ROM and JOA score as well as the shoulder temperature were all ameliorated after 9 treatments in either the trial group or the control group, compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). In the comparison between two groups, after 9 treatments, VAS score in the trial group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05); and the improvements in ROM and shoulder temperature in the trial group were better than those of the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse reactions were found in the two groups.

Conclusion

Both the “scapular heat penetration” technique of acupuncture and the conventional acupuncture are effective on scapulohumeral periarthritis. But, regarding the improvements in pain, ROM of shoulder joint, the activity of daily life and shoulder temperature, the “scapular heat penetration” technique of acupuncture is superior to the conventional acupuncture.

Registration number

ChiCTR1900025505