"Anatomically-Guided Electroacupuncture Combined With Cupping for Pain Relief and Shoulder Function Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial"
"Anatomically-Guided Electroacupuncture Combined With Cupping for Pain Relief and Shoulder Function Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial"
This study compares two acupuncture-based treatments for shoulder pain. Adults with shoulder pain will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive electroacupuncture at points chosen based on the anatomy of the painful muscle, combined with moving cupping therapy. The other group will receive electroacupuncture using a standard set of traditional acupuncture points. Both groups will receive daily treatment for 5 days. The main question is whether the combined treatment reduces pain and improves shoulder function more than standard electroacupuncture, measured using a shoulder pain and disability questionnaire completed before treatment and after each session.
This is a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial conducted at the Traditional Medicine Unit, Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from December 2025 to March 2026. Seventy adults over 18 years of age diagnosed with mechanical shoulder pain (ICD-10 M75.0-M75.9) were assigned in a 1:1 ratio, using block randomization with sealed envelopes (block size of 10), to an intervention group (n=35) or a control group (n=35).
The intervention group received moving cupping therapy over the upper back and shoulder region for 10-15 minutes every other day (3 sessions total), followed by electroacupuncture at points selected according to the anatomical location of the affected muscle layer and the movement that provoked pain, applied at 60-100 Hz for 20 minutes once daily for 5 consecutive days. The control group received electroacupuncture using a standard set of classical acupuncture points at the same frequency, duration, and treatment schedule, without cupping.
The primary outcome is change in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), which includes a pain subscale (5 items) and a disability subscale (8 items), assessed at baseline and after each of the 5 treatment sessions. Adverse events were monitored throughout the treatment period. Statistical analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle, using repeated-measures analysis of variance and linear mixed models to compare score trajectories between groups over time, adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index.
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