227: Acupuncture for Poststroke Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Topic: Clinical Science
Subtopic: Pain category (ICD-11), Chronic primary musculoskeletal pain, Treatment/management

Background and Aims: Shoulder pain is the common complaint among patients with stroke. Acupuncture has increasingly been used for shoulder pain treatment after stroke. The aim of the present study was to summarize and evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving poststroke shoulder pain.

Methods: Five databases were searched without language restrictions. All randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of acupuncture for poststroke shoulder pain compared with controls were included. Assessments were performed primarily with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and effective rates.

Results: In all, 201 potentially relevant articles were identified; 12 were randomized controlled trials that met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture combined with rehabilitation treatment appeared to be more effective than rehabilitation treatment alone for poststroke shoulder pain, as assessed by VAS (weighted mean difference, 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.54; <0.001); FMA (weighted mean difference, 8.70; 95% CI, 6.58-10.82; P < 0.001); and effective rate (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.47; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: In conclusion, acupuncture may be effective for treating shoulder pain after stroke. However, further studies with more subjects and a rigorous study design are needed to confirm the role of acupuncture in the treatment of poststroke shoulder pain.

References: 1. WHO Benchmarks for the Practice of Acupuncture. World Health Organization; 2020.
2. Yang A, Wu HM, Tang JL, Xu L, Yang M, Liu GJ. Acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016:CD004131. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004131.pub3.
3. Yang A, Wu HM, Tang JL, Xu L, Yang M, Liu GJ. Acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016:CD004131. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004131.pub3.
4. Higgins JP, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, et al. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ. 2011;343:d5928. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d5928.
5. White AR, Filshie J, Cummings TM, International Acupuncture Research Forum. Clinical trials of acupuncture: consensus recommendations for optimal treatment, sham controls and blinding. Complement Ther Med. 2001;9(4):237-245. doi: 10.1054/ctim.2001.0489.

Presenting Author: Sung Min Lim
Submitting Author: Sung Min Lim

Senior Author: Sung Min Lim

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No