Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of tiaokou (ST38) through CHENGSHAN (BL 57) acupuncture combined with Juanbi-tang decoction for patients with simple scapulohumeral periarthritis.
Subjects and Methods: This was an open-label controlled clinical intervention study with a before-and-after treatment comparison conducted on 60 patients diagnosed with simple periarthritis of the shoulder. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups:
Study group: Acupuncture at tiaokou (ST38) penetrating chengshan (BL57) combined with Juanbi-tang for 15 days.
Control group: Juanbi-tang alone for 15 days.
Study period and location: From June 2025 to February 2026 at the Traditional Medicine Hospital of the Ministry of Public Security.
Results: After 15 days of treatment, the study group showed marked improvement. The mean VAS pain score decreased from 6.33 ± 1.12 to 1.33 ± 0.67, with a reduction of 5.0 ± 0.46, compared with the control group, in which the VAS score decreased from 6.20 ± 1.03 to 1.70 ± 0.54, with a reduction of 4.5 ± 1.2. Shoulder joint range of motion (abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation) improved significantly compared with the control group (p < 0.05). No adverse events were observed during the study, including bleeding at the acupuncture site, gastrointestinal disturbances, or skin rash after taking the medication in either group.
Conclusion: The combination of Tiaokou (ST 38) through Chengshan (BL 57) acupuncture and Juanbi-tang decoction is an effective and safe therapeutic approach for the treatment of simple scapulohumeral periarthritis.