The effect of electroacupuncture on shoulder subluxation for stroke patients.

In this study, we evaluated the effect of electroacupuncture on shoulder subluxation for stroke patients. Twenty hemiplegic patients with shoulder subluxation were randomly and equally divided into two groups. The subjects in the control group received conventional therapy, and the subjects in the study group were treated with electroacupuncture and conventional therapy for four weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) for shoulder pain, motor function status, anthropometry, and X-ray assessment were used to evaluate the status of shoulder subluxation before and after treatment. The results indicated that the pain scores decreased in the study groups significantly more than those in the control group. The degrees of shoulder reduction, including the measurement of anthropometry and X-ray assessment in the study group, were more than those of the control group. However, the motor function status showed no significant difference between two groups. It is concluded that electroacupuncture can be an effective adjuvant management in the treatment of shoulder subluxation for stroke patients.