Therapeutic effect of Fu's subcutaneous needling for hemiplegic shoulder pain among stroke survivors

Abstract

Background: Hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) is a frequent complication after stroke and limits patients’ physical functioning of the affected arm, thus compromising their quality of life. Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) has been widely applied in the treatment of pain diseases in China; however, its efficacy and safety for HSP remain to be elucidated. We therefore conducted a randomized, controlled trial to summarize the current evidence on the effects of FSN on the recovery outcomes of stroke survivors with HSP. Methods: Here, we conduct a study design and protocol of a randomized, blinded, controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FSN in patients with HSP. A total of 60 patients with numerical rating scale (NRS) score above 1 will be recruited in the trial and randomized into FSN group or usual care (UC) group. Patients in the FSN group will receive FSN treatment combined with UC treatment while patients in the UC group will receive UC treatment alone for 4 weeks. The primary outcomes are changes of NRS at baseline, after the 1st treatment, after the final treatment and 4 weeks after the final treatment. Secondary measurements will be changes of Fugl–Meyer score, constant score, MPQ-SF score, quality of life score, and range of motion at baseline, after the final treatment, and 4 weeks after the final treatment. The safety will also be assessed by monitoring the incidence of adverse events and changes in vital signs during the study. Discussion: Results from this trial will significantly support the application of FSN in the recovery of patients with HSP. If found to be effective and safe, FSN will be a valuable complementary option for patients with HSP. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR1900021644 (registered on March 2, 2019).

Valproic Acid Treatment Improves Organ Function, Survival Rate, and Lipid Peroxidation in Fatally Scalded Rats

“…NS and LR are still the basic solutions used in fluid resuscitation, but there are serious shortcomings in their application. NS is often complicated by hyperchloric acidosis, and LR can induce cell pseudohypoxia and aggravate intracellular acidosis, and neither contains energy substrates as previously described (S. Liu et al, 2019; Young et al, 2014). Previous studies have shown that LR aggravates tissue edema and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) through lactic acidosis, inflammation, and peroxidation (Matsuo et al, 2021; Wagner et al, 2018).…”

Treatment effect and mechanism of Fu's subcutaneous needling among patients with shoulder pain: A retrospective pilot study

“…FSN acts mainly in the subcutaneous layer (Yu et al, 2019) and does not penetrate the muscular layer. Research has indicated that FSN can relieve pain and improve soft tissue pathology related to injury in clinical practice (Liu et al, 2019). To our knowledge, there is no published evidence-based literature on FSN effects related to shoulder pain.…”

Effectiveness of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training vs. rehabilitation training alone for post-stroke shoulder pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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