[Pricking and cupping at area combined with conventional acupuncture for scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To compare the clinical effect of conventional acupuncture combined with pricking and cupping at area and conventional acupuncture in the treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage.

Methods: A total of 66 patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage were randomly divided into a combination group (31 cases) and an acupuncture group (35 cases, 1 case dropped off). Both groups were given functional exercise. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Jianyu (LI 15), Jianliao (TE 14), Binao (LI 14) and point on the affected side, once every other day, three times a week, for a total of 4 weeks. On the basis of treatment in the acupuncture group, the patients in the combination group were treated with pricking and cupping at area (the area surrounded by the 3 acupoints of Tianzong [SI 11], Naoshu [SI 10] and Jianzhen [SI 9]), once a week for 4 weeks. The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder joint score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score before treatment, after treatment and after 6 months of treatment completion (follow-up) and tenderness threshold before and after treatment, and the clinical effects of the two groups after treatment and in follow-up were evaluated.

Results: In the two groups, after treatment and in follow-up, the UCLA shoulder joint scores were higher than those before treatment (<0.05), and the VAS scores were lower than those before treatment (<0.05). In the combination group, after treatment and in follow-up, the UCLA shoulder joint score was higher than that of the acupuncture group (<0.05), and the VAS score was lower than that of the acupuncture group (<0.05). After treatment, the tenderness thresholds of the two groups were higher than those before treatment (<0.05), and the tenderness threshold in the combination group was higher than that in the acupuncture group (<0.05). After treatment and in follow-up, the cured and markedly effective rate of the combination group was 48.4% (15/31) and 51.6% (16/31) respectively, which was higher than 23.5% (8/34) and 23.5% (8/34) of the acupuncture group (<0.05).

Conclusion: Pricking and cupping in area combined with conventional acupuncture can improve shoulder joint function and relieve shoulder joint pain in patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage, and the curative effect is better than that of single conventional acupuncture.