Objective: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture(EA) at Jianyu(LI 15) for scapulohumeral periarthritis of prophase adhesion type. Methods: In accordance with the requirements of evidence-based medicine

in the present study

unified criteria for diagnosis and assessment of therapeutic effects were adopted

various treatment parameters were fixed

and changes of shoulder pain index(visual analogue scale

VAS) and ranges of shoulder-joint movement were taken as the observed indexes.A total of 216 cases of scapulohumeral periarthritis of prophase adhesion type were randomized into EA group(108 cases) and medication group(108 cases).For patients of EA group

Jianyu(LI 15) was punctured and stimulated electrically with frequency of 100 Hz and 2 Hz and strength of (10±2) mA for 30 min

and those patients of medication group were ordered to take Brufen(0.6 g/day).The treatment was given once daily

with 7 days being a therapeutic course.Results: After one course of treatment

EA treatment gained a good therapeutic effect with the total effective rate and cure+markedly effective rate being 92.59% and 78.70% respectively which were significantly higher than those(82.41% and 59.25% separately) of medication group(P<0.05).Self-comparison of the two groups showed significant decrease in pain index and marked increase in the score of shoulder-joint movement(P<0.01).The decrease rate of the pain index and the improving rate of the shoulder-joint movement in EA group were 63.21% and 22.64% separately

being also slightly higher than 60.16% and 16.95% of medication group.Conclusion: EA of LI 15 can relieve scapulohumeral periarthritis patients' pain and improve the range of shoulder-joint movement

and its therapeutic effects are significantly better than those of Brufen.Thus EA of LI 15 is a better remedy for scapulohumeral periarthritis of prophase adhesion type.