Clinical effect of acupoint application with turmeric blistering moxibustion plaster on post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effects of acupoint application with turmeric blistering moxibustion plaster on pain, shoulder range of motion (ROM) and upper limb motor function in the patients with post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain (PSHSP).

METHODS: Eighty-two patients with PSHSP were randomly divided into an observation group (41 cases, 1 case was eliminated, 4 cases dropped out) and a control group (41 cases, 2 cases were eliminated and 2 cases dropped out). The routine treatment, nursing care and rehabilitation training were performed in the control group. On the basis of the intervention as the control group, in the observation group, the turmeric blistering moxibustion plaster was applied to bilateral ashi points, Jianyu (LI 15), Jianliao (TE 14), Binao (LI 14), Shousanli (LI 10) and Hegu (LI 4), once a day, remained for 6 hours each time. This moxibustion therapy was operated 5 times weekly, one course of treatment consisted of 2 weeks and 2 courses were required. Separately, before treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS), shoulder ROM and the score of upper limbs in Fugl-Meyer assessment (U-FMA) were observed in the two groups.

RESULTS: VAS scores were lower ( P< 0.05), ROM in shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation was larger ( P <0.05), and U-FMA scores were higher ( P< 0.05) after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment when compared with those before treatment in the two groups. After 4 weeks of treatment, VAS score decreased ( P< 0.05), and ROM in shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation and U-FMA score increased ( P <0.05) in comparison with those after 2 weeks of treatment in either group. In the observation group, VAS scores were dropped ( P <0.05) after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment respectively, and ROM of shoulder flexion and abduction enlarged after 2 weeks of treatment ( P< 0.05) when compared with those in the control group. After 4 weeks of treatment, ROM in shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation in the observation group was larger ( P <0.05) and U-FMA score was higher ( P <0.05) than those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: Acupoint application with turmeric blistering moxibustion plaster may effectively reduce the degree of shoulder pain and improve the shoulder range of motion and the upper limb motor function in the patients with post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain.