Effectiveness and Safety of Adjunctive Pharmacopuncture to Acupuncture Treatment for Rotator Cuff Diseases: a Protocol for an Assessor-Blinded, Pragmatic Randomized Controlled, Pilot Trial

• Main Authors: Hyun Ji Cha (Author), Chang-Hyun Han (Author), Ju Hyun Jeon (Author), Jeong Kyo Jeong (Author), Hong Kyoung Kim (Author), Changsop Yang (Author), Byoung-Kab Kang (Author), Min Ji Kim (Author), Young Eun Choi (Author), In-Hyuk Ha (Author), Young Il Kim (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Medical Association of Pharmacopuncture Institute, 2023-04-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2005-2901; 10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.2.79
• Keywords: rotator cuff disease; pharmacopuncture; non-surgical intervention; pragmatic; protocol; korean medicine; Other systems of medicine; RZ201-999
• Source: Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies, Vol 16, Iss 2, Pp 79-87 (2023)

Background : Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder. Treatment can be surgical or non-surgical. Korean Medicine, including acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, is a part of conservative treatment. Pharmacopuncture, combining acupuncture with herbal medicine, has been used for musculoskeletal disorders since the 1960s, but clinical evidence on its effectiveness is lacking. Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of pharmacopuncture for rotator cuff disease. Methods : A two-group, parallel, single-center, pragmatic, randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded trial will be conducted. A total of 40 patients will be recruited, starting in July 2022. All patients will be received acupuncture treatment, and pharmacopuncture will be applied to intervention group additionally. After eight treatments are delivered over four weeks, follow-up assessments will be performed. Results : Assessments will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these treatments at baseline and at weeks 2 (2 W), 4 (4 W), and 8 (8 W). The primary outcome will be a visual analog scale (VAS) evaluation of shoulder pain levels. Assessments will include shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI), shoulder range of motion (ROM), EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L), patient global impression of change (PGIC), 'no worse than mild pain', and drug consumption rates. Conclusion : This study may offer a rationale for a future full-scale trial on the effectiveness and safety of pharmacopuncture treatment for rotator cuff disease and provide data on non-surgical treatment for the disease.