[Clinical Trial of Treatment of Cervicogenic Scapulohumeral Periarthritis by Red-hot Needle Therapy Combined with Cupping].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of red-hot needle therapy combined with cupping for cervicogenic periarthritis of shoulder.

METHODS: Forty-two cases of cervicogenic periarthritis of shoulder were randomized into red-hot needle group and routine acupuncture group (n = 21). For patients of the routine acupuncture group, the filiform needles were applied to Tianzhu (BL 10), Jianjing (GB 21), Jianzhongshu (SI 15), Jianzhen (SI 9), Jianliao (TE 14), Jianyu (LI 15), Jianqian, Tianzong (SI 11) and Ashi-points on the affected side, followed by conducting cupping at the anterior and posterior regions of the affected shoulder, SI 11, GB 21 and SI 15. For patients of the red-hot needle group, the Ashi-points on the affected shoulder were punctured with cauterized filiform needles, following by performing cupping. The treatment was performed once daily and once every other day respectively for two weeks. The shoulder motor function was assessed according to the adjusted Constant-Murley test.

RESULTS: After the treatment, the integrated scores of shoulder pain, shoulder-joint activities in daily living and shoulder-joint motion range were significantly increased in both groups compared with pre-treatment in the same one group (P < 0.05) and obviously higher in the red-hot needle group than in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05). Of the two 21 cases of shoulder periarthritis patients in the routine acupuncture and red-hot needle groups, 4 and 8 were cured, 14 and 12 experienced improvement, 3 and 1 was invalid, with the effective rates being 85.71% and 95.24%, respectively. The therapeutic effect of the red-hot needle therapy was significantly superior to that of the routine acupuncture (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The red-hot needle therapy combined with cupping is effective in relieving cervicogenic shoulder periarthritis and is remarkably superior to routine acupuncture combined with cupping in improving shoulder periarthritis patients' symptoms.