Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 26, 2024; 12(21): 4582-4589
Published online Jul 26, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i21.4582
Effect of electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation techniques on shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff injuries
Zhi-Ying Chen, Meng-Hua Wang, Zhong Ye
Zhi-Ying Chen, Meng-Hua Wang, Department of Rehabilitation, The People's Hospital of Yuhuan, Yuhuan 317600, Zhejiang Province, China
Zhong Ye, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yuhuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yuhuan 317600, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Chen ZY designed the study; Wang MH performed the data collection and analysed the data; Ye Z wrote the manuscript; All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was ethically reviewed by The People's Hospital of Yuhuan.
Informed consent statement: The data utilized in this study did not involve any private information of the patients. All patient data obtained was recorded and managed solely for the purpose of this study, without any harm to the patients. The informed consent was waived by the ethics committee of The People's Hospital of Yuhuan.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: All data for this study were obtained by diligently contacting the corresponding author.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhong Ye, BMed, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yuhuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 18 Changle Road, Yucheng Street, Yuhuan 317600, Zhejiang Province, China. yhybczh@163.com
Received: April 10, 2024
Revised: May 27, 2024
Accepted: June 11, 2024
Published online: July 26, 2024
Processing time: 82 Days and 0.9 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The rotator cuff is located below the acromion and deltoid muscles and comprises multiple tendons that wrap around the humeral head, maintaining shoulder joint stability.

AIM

To explore the effect of electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation techniques on shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff injuries.

METHODS

We selected 97 patients with rotator cuff injuries treated in the People's Hospital of Yuhuan from February 2020 to May 2023. Patients were grouped using the envelope method.

RESULTS

After treatment, the study group’s treatment effective rate was 94.90% (46/49 patients), significantly higher than that in the control group (79.17%, 38/48 cases; P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no difference in Constant Murley Score (CMS) scores, shoulder mobility, or 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scale scores (P > 0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the CMS scores (including pain, daily living ability, shoulder mobility, and muscle strength), all aspects of shoulder mobility (forward flexion, posterior extension, external rotation, internal rotation), and SF-36 scale scores (including physiological, psychological, emotional, physical, vitality, and health status) were higher in both groups after treatment and significantly higher in the study group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the occurrence of complications between the two treatment groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation techniques has a good treatment effect on patients with rotator cuff injuries, helps accelerate the recovery of shoulder function, improves the quality of life, and is highly safe.

Keywords: Electroacupuncture therapy; Rehabilitation technique; Rotator cuff injury; Shoulder joint function

Core Tip: This study included 97 patients with rotator cuff injuries treated in the People's Hospital of Yuhuan from February 2020 to May 2023. Patients were grouped using the envelope method. Forty-eight patients in the control group were treated with rehabilitation techniques, whereas forty-nine patients in the study group were treated with electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation techniques. A follow-up was conducted for 6 months, assessing the patients at the last follow-up, comparing the shoulder Constant Murley Score, shoulder mobility, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores before and 6 months after treatment. Complications in the patients were recorded until the follow-up period. The results showed that electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation techniques had a good treatment effect on patients with rotator cuff injuries, aiding in the acceleration of shoulder function recovery, improving quality of life, and demonstrating high safety.