Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of warm acupuncture(moxa-heated acupuncture)needle stimulation of Waiguan(TE 5)acupoint in the treatment of shoulder-hand syndrome(phaseⅠ)in patients with stroke.Methods Sixty stroke patients with shoulder-hand syndrome(phaseⅠ)were equally randomized into control group and warm acupuncture group.Patients of the warm acupuncture group were treated by warm acupuncture stimulation of the affected TE 5in combination with routine acupuncture stimulation of Jianyu(LI 15)

Jianjing(GB 21)

Quchi(LI 11)

Wangu(SI 4)

Yangchi(TE 4)and Hegu(LI 4)

and rehabilitation training(passive and active upper-limb motion exercise for 30min

once daily)

and patients of the control group treated with routine acupuncture stimulation of the same acupoints mentioned above

and rehabilitation training.The treatment was conducted once daily

5times per week for two weeks.The patients' clinical conditions were evaluated by using Visual Analogue Scale(VAS

0-10points

shoulder pain degree)

edema severity score(0point:normal

2points:mild

4points:moderate

and 6points:severe)and simplified Fugl-Meyer motor assessment scale(0

1and 2points

upper-limb motor function)before and after the treatment.Results After the treatment

the scores of VAS and edema severity of the two groups were significantly decreased in comparison with pre-treatment in the same one group(P<0.01)

and the Fugl-Meyer motor scores were considerably increased(P<0.01)

suggesting an improvement of the shoulder-hand syndrome after two weeks' treatment.Of the two 30patients in the control group and warm acupuncture group

0and 2(6.7%)were cured

7(23.3%)and25(83.3%)experienced marked improvement

17(56.7%)and 2(6.7%)were effective

6(20.0%)and 1(3.3%)invalid

with the effective rates being 80.0%and 96.7%

respectively.The effect of warm acupuncture group was superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Warm acupuncture combined with routine acupuncture and rehabilitation training is effective in improving shoulder pain

hand edema and limb motor function in stroke patients with shoulder-hand syndrome at phaseⅠ.