Study Summary

Sixty-four patients with chronic rotator cuff disease were randomized to receive thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) or sham thread-embedding acupuncture (STEA). The primary outcome of interest was change in 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes included shoulder pain and disability index, range of motion (ROM), and rotator cuff quality of life score. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 4, 8, and 16 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed that both groups experienced improvements in pain and function, but no statistically significant differences were observed between groups, except for improved external rotation ROM. These findings suggest that TEA may provide some clinical benefit, particularly in shoulder mobility, but does not significantly outperform sham treatment for overall pain reduction.