Acupuncture with Planning Treatment According to Diagnosis: A Trial Study of Protocol and its Effects for Stiff Shoulder

Abstract

Background: In order to standardize an effective acupuncture therapy for chronic dull pain and stiffness of neck and shoulder, we made a protocol characterized with planning treatment according to diagnosis and examined its availability. Methods and findings: Thirty-two patients were categorized into three groups based on the pathophysiology of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Blood stasis due to Qi stagnancy (Group-1), Deficiency of Liver-blood (Group-2), Yin deficiency of Liver and Kidney (Group-3) according to their subjective symptoms and signs. Acupuncture treatment was performed once a week over a two week period in accordance with the protocol that was arranged to each group. The averaged VAS values after the 3rd therapy in the whole groups decreased significantly (p<0.01) as compared with that of the initial visit before therapy. Investigating each group, the averaged VAS value after the 3rd therapy in Group 1 was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that of the initial visit at baseline. In other groups, although the VAS scores showed a gradual decrease according to the treatment, there was unfortunately no significance in the changes of the VAS. There were no side effects in all the treatment of this study. Conclusions: These results indicate that the present study protocol would be effective in relieving the patient’s subjective symptoms, and it would alternatively provide an effective and safe medical treatment for stiff neck and shoulder, although it should be modified for Groups 2 and 3.