Anatomically-Guided Electroacupuncture Combined With Cupping for Shoulder Pain

This is a single‐center, prospective, randomized controlled trial conducted at theTraditional Medicine Unit, Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from December2025 to March 2026. Seventy adults over 18 years of age diagnosed with mechanicalshoulder pain (ICD‐10 M75.0‐M75.9) were assigned in a 1:1 ratio, using blockrandomization 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 shoulderregion for 10‐15 minutes every other day (3 sessions total), followed byelectroacupuncture at points selected according to the anatomical location of theaffected muscle layer and the movement that provoked pain, applied at 60‐100 Hz for 20minutes once daily for 5 consecutive days. The control group received electroacupunctureusing a standard set of classical acupuncture points at the same frequency, duration, andtreatment schedule, without cupping.The primary outcome is change in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), whichincludes a pain subscale (5 items) and a disability subscale (8 items), assessed atbaseline and after each of the 5 treatment sessions. Adverse events were monitoredthroughout the treatment period. Statistical analysis followed the intention‐to‐treatprinciple, using repeated‐measures analysis of variance and linear mixed models tocompare score trajectories between groups over time, adjusted for age, sex, and body massindex.