The Efficacy of Acupuncture on Shoulder for Pain Intensity, Functional Status, and General Quality of Life in Adults: A Systematic Review

Objective: To assess the effect of acupuncture as a standalone treatment on shoulder pain intensity, functional status, quality of life, and incidence of adverse events in adults. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were pooled from a search of four English databases and a manual search for relevant RCTs from previous reviews. The inclusion of studies was based on participant demographics, interventions, controls, and follow-up periods established a priori. RCTs with active controls or post-stroke shoulder dysfunction were excluded. Follow-up periods were as per the 2024 Cochrane guidelines. The included trials’ results were tabulated and described narratively. Results: From the ten included studies (748 participants), three had a low risk of bias. For nonspecific general shoulder pain, one trial highlighted a reduction in short-term pain, and another trial showed improvements in both short-term pain and functional status. Two trials showed no significant improvement in pain, and another trial indicated no significant improvement in pain nor function. Two trials highlighted mixed results, with both active and control interventions improving pain and functional status. For shoulder impingement syndrome, two trials suggested no improvement in pain, function, nor quality of life. For adhesive capsulitis, although one trial indicated a significant reduction in long-term pain, another indicated no improvement. Five trials reported the incidence of adverse effects. Conclusion: Limited evidence suggests acupuncture as a standalone treatment to be effective and safe for improving shoulder pain and function. Clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting the results of this review due to the limited sample sizes and low-quality evidence. Further research is warranted.