title: Therapeutic effect of acupuncture and massage for shoulder-hand syndrome in hemiplegia patients: a clinical two-center randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and massage for shoulder-hand syndrome in hemiplegia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty hemiplegia patients with stage I shoulder-hand syndrome were randomly divided into a group treated with standardized electric acupuncture and massage, and a group treated with rehabilitation therapy for 6 weeks. The primary indices evaluated were pain on passive movement of the shoulder using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and the number of patients with shoulder-hand syndrome at Steinbrocker stage II or III after treatment. The secondary indices were Fugl-Meyer evaluation of functional movement of the upper limb and hand using the modified rankin scale (MRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At post-treatment evaluation and a 12-week follow-up visit, NPRS score, number of patients with stage II or III shoulder-hand syndrome, and MRS score were all improved in the acupuncture-massage group compared with the rehabilitation group (P<0.05). On Fugl-Meyer evaluation, functional movement of the upper limb was also improved in the acupuncture-massage group compared with the rehabilitation group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardized acupuncture-massage therapy may have curative effects on shoulder-hand syndrome in hemiplegia patients.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture Department of Huaxi Hospital Affiliated to Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fengwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Chengwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pengming
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Xiulan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult