Floating needle therapy for postoperative functional rehabilitation in patients with surgical neck fracture of humerus: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the effect of floating needle therapy on myofascial trigger point (MTrP) and conventional electroacupuncture on the recovery of shoulder joint function after surgical neck fracture of humerus on the basis of drugs and rehabilitation training.@*METHODS@#A total of 72 patients with unilateral surgical neck fracture of humerus were randomly divided into a floating needle group (35 cases) and an electroacupuncture group (37 cases). At the same time of the basic treatment, both groups were intervened on the 2nd day after operation. Touched the MTrP at the affected limb, and the floating needle was used to sweep around it in the floating needle group. In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture was applied at Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Waiguan (TE 5) on the affected side, the dilatational wave (4 Hz/20 Hz) was selected. The treatment was given once every day for 2 weeks. Pain visual analogue scales (VAS) score, constant shoulder joint score, and changes in the number of MTrP were used to evaluate the pain and functional status of the shoulder joints before, after treatment, and 3 months after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared with that before treatment, the VAS scores were decreased, the constant scores were increased, and the numbers of MTrP were decreased in the two groups after treatment and 3 months after treatment (<0.05), but the improvement in the floating needle group was better than that in the electroacupuncture group (<0.05). Compared with that after treatment, the VAS scores were decreased and the constant scores were increased 3 months after treatment in the floating needle group (<0.05), and the VAS scores in the electroacupuncture group were decreased (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Floating needle therapy is helpful for the rehabilitation of shoulder joint function after surgical neck fracture of the humerus, and its curative effect is better than conventional electroacupuncture.