ABSTRACT
Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of combining neuromuscular joint facilitation (NJF) with floating needle treatment in treating stroke survivors with painful shoulder subluxation.Methods:Thirty-nine stroke survivors with painful shoulder subluxation were randomly divided into an NJF group, a floating needle group and a combination group, each of 13. In addition to the basic treatment for shoulder subluxation and pain (including positioning, physiotherapy, active and passive motor function training, progressive training of the upper limbs, and using shoulder pads to protect the affected shoulders when standing or walking), the 3 groups were also given NJF, floating needle therapy or both as their group names imply six days per week for 4 weeks. Shoulder subluxation was evaluated using ultrasonography to measure the acromion-greater tuberosity distance (AGT). Pain was self-reported using a visual analogue scale. And the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) was applied to quantify the treatments′ efficacy.Results:Before the treatment, no significant differences were found among the 3 groups in terms of their average AGTs, pain ratings or FMA scores. Afterward, significant improvement was observed in all of the measurements in all 3 groups, with the combination group′s average results significantly better than those of the other two. The combination group′s overall effectiveness was 85%, significantly better than that of NJF group (54%) and the floating needle group (62%).Conclusions:Floating needle treatment combined with NJF and routine rehabilitation can significantly improve motor functioning and relieve the pain of shoulder subluxation after a stroke.