ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the basic therapeutic function of Tiaokou (ST 38).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to clinically multi-central randomized controlled and single-blind test principle, 257 cases of periarthritis of shoulder were divided into two groups, a test group (n = 124) treated with oral anti-inflammatory analgesic medicine combined with acupuncture at Tiaokou (ST 38), and a control group (n = 133) treated with oral anti-inflammatory analgesic medicine. Their therapeutic effects were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate for stopping pain was 96.0% in the test group and 91.7% in the control group with a very significant difference between the two groups (P< 0.01). And the total effective rate for improvement of shoulder activity was 86.3% in the test group and 59.4% in the control group with a very significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oral anti-inflammatory analgesic medicine combined with acupuncture has obvious therapeutic effect on periarthritis of shoulder, which is better than that of simple oral anti-inflammatory analgesic medicine.</p>