Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33062030›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2020

The Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Eyal Ben-Arie, Pei-Yu Kao, Yu-Chen Lee, Wen-Chao Ho, Li-Wei Chou, Hsin-Ping Liu

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06939309 (Efficacy of Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain Based on Remote Point Selection According to the Meridians), which is not on this map. Cited by 20 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
7.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06939309 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain Based on Remote Point Selection According to the Meridians

TypeinterventionalSponsorChina Medical University HospitalRan2025 to 2026Enrolled90ConditionsShoulder Pain, Acupuncture, MeridiansArmsAcupuncture, Rehabilitation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

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  14. Effectiveness of bee venom acupuncture for patients suffering from periarthritis humeroscapularis.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Eyal Ben-ArieGraduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Pei-Yu KaoDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Yu-Chen LeeGraduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Wen-Chao HoDepartment of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Li-Wei ChouDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3540-6225
Hsin-Ping LiuGraduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2569-3072
China Medical University · TWAsia University · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFrozen shoulder (FS) is associated with pain, reduced range of motion (ROM), and shoulder function. The condition occurs in 2-5% of the population, and it is especially common around the age of 50 years. FS symptoms will recover after 1-4 years. Many patients turn to acupuncture in order to alleviate the FS symptoms.

objectiveIn this review, we will investigate the efficiency of acupuncture as a FS treatment.

methodsA literature search of acupuncture and FS-related keywords was performed in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. Thirteen publications were included for a systematic review, and a meta-analysis was done using the following measurements: visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, Constant-Murley Shoulder Outcome Score (CMS) for shoulder function, and active shoulder ROM including flexion, abduction, and external rotation. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool and quality of evidence GRADE recommendations and STRICTA 2010 were used to grade the included publications.

resultsA meta-analysis on VAS pain score showed significant pain reduction, restoring CMS shoulder function, and flexion ROM in favor of acupuncture versus the control. In external rotation and abduction ROM, a meta-analysis was not significant. The most used acupoints are Jian Yu (LI15) and Jian Liao (TB14).

conclusionsThe results indicate that acupuncture could be safe and effective for pain reduction, restoring shoulder function, and restoring flexion ROM for FS patients in the short term and midterm. However, the level of evidence was very low. More high-quality and longer studies are needed in order to robust the evidence.

Identifiers

PMID33062030
PMCPMC7532995
OpenAlexW3088163292

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.