Efficacy and safety of acupuncture or moxibustion combined with rehabilitation therapy for post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Xinle Wang , Lujia Xiao , Xingxing Lin , Feng Zhang , Kaixuan Zhang , Baoqiang Dong
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture or moxibustion combined with rehabilitation therapy for post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS).
Methods
PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and SinoMed were searched from inception to March 5, 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB2) tool was used to assess study quality, RevMan 5.4 software was employed for meta-analysis, GRADE criteria were applied to evaluate evidence quality.
Results
46 RCTs involving 3730 participants were included. Compared to rehabilitation alone, acupuncture or moxibustion combined with rehabilitation significantly improved efficacy rate (RR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.20 to 1.28), motor function (FMA: MD = 8.35, 95 % CI: 6.96 to 9.74), reduced pain (VAS: MD = -1.43, 95 % CI:1.65 to -1.21), and reduced SHS severity (SHSS: MD = -1.60, 95 % CI:1.99 to -1.22). Combination therapy also significantly reduced biomarkers (SP, BK, ET-1), increased CGRP (SMD = 1.27, 95 % CI: 0.53 to 2.02), decreased swelling volume (MD = -5.88, 95 % CI:9.25 to -2.50), and improved activities of daily living (MBI: MD = 13.31, 95 % CI: 9.10 to 17.53). However, the GRADE indicated low or very low certainty for most outcomes. Only six studies explicitly documented adverse events (none severe), warranting cautious interpretation.
Conclusions
Acupuncture or moxibustion combined with rehabilitation improves outcomes for post-stroke SHS. Nevertheless, conclusions require further validation through multicenter, large-sample RCTs due to evidence limitations.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases publishes original papers on basic and clinical science related to the fields of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. The Journal also features review articles, controversies, methods and technical notes, selected case reports and other original articles of special nature. Its editorial mission is to focus on prevention and repair of cerebrovascular disease. Clinical papers emphasize medical and surgical aspects of stroke, clinical trials and design, epidemiology, stroke care delivery systems and outcomes, imaging sciences and rehabilitation of stroke. The Journal will be of special interest to specialists involved in caring for patients with cerebrovascular disease, including neurologists, neurosurgeons and cardiologists.