"Effectiveness of Korean Medicine 'Dongjak Acupuncture' Confirmed for Treating Frozen Shoulder and Other Glenohumeral Joint Disorders"

A study confirming the efficacy and safety of 'Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT),' performed in Korean medicine to treat shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) disorders, has been published in an international academic journal.

The research team led by Korean medicine doctor Dongwook Hwang (Haeundae Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital) at Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute announced on the 10th that the combination of MSAT and integrated Korean medicine treatment showed faster improvement in shoulder range of motion, pain, and disability compared to integrated Korean medicine treatment alone. This research paper was published in the SCI(E)-level international journal 'EXPLORE (IF=2.358)'.

Medical staff at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine are performing motion acupuncture therapy on a patient with shoulder joint disorder. [Photo by Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine]

Major diseases causing glenohumeral joint disorders include adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acute trauma. Surgical treatment is required when severe nerve or bone damage occurs, but in most other cases, conservative treatment is prioritized. MSAT is a treatment method in which a Korean medicine doctor inserts acupuncture needles into acupoints related to pain and then induces the patient's active and passive movements to quickly relieve pain and increase the joint's range of motion.

The research team selected 80 adult patients who received outpatient treatment for glenohumeral joint disorders at Haeundae Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital from July 2019 to May 2021 as study subjects. The patients were then assigned to the MSAT group and the control group (integrated Korean medicine treatment only) with 40 patients each. Both groups received integrated Korean medicine treatment, which comprehensively included acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine prescriptions, while the MSAT group additionally received MSAT before the integrated treatment.

To evaluate the treatment effects in each group, the range of shoulder motion was analyzed at the end of the 2-week treatment period, using the immediate post-treatment time as the baseline. The MSAT group showed a more improved joint range of motion compared to the control group. In particular, the shoulder external rotation range when raising the arm above the shoulder increased significantly from 127.24 degrees to 134.95 degrees (about 7.71 degrees) in the control group, whereas the MSAT group improved from 141.19 degrees to 160.92 degrees, nearly a 20-degree increase, showing meaningful improvement.

The research team also measured the following at the end of the 2-week treatment and at 3 months afterward to assess whether the treatment effects were sustained long-term: ▲Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0?10 points) for pain ▲Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI, 0?100 points) ▲Quality of life scale EQ-5D-5L (-0.066 to 1 point). Higher NRS and SPADI scores indicate more severe pain and disability, while EQ-5D-5L scores closer to 1 indicate better quality of life.

Hwang Dong-wook, Korean Medicine Doctor at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine Spine and Joint Research Institute.

In the control group, the NRS score decreased slightly from 4.75 to 4.33, indicating persistent moderate to severe pain, whereas the MSAT group showed continuous treatment effects with a decrease from 3.02 to mild pain level of 2.37. Similarly, the SPADI score in the control group improved slightly from 39.82 to 37, but the MSAT group recovered from 27.57 to a lower level of 21.9. Notably, the EQ-5D-5L score in the MSAT group was 0.81 immediately after treatment and improved further to 0.86 after 3 months, indicating sustained improvement.

Korean medicine doctor Dongwook Hwang said, "This study is the first prospective observational study to confirm the efficacy and safety of MSAT for the glenohumeral joint. It demonstrated that combining MSAT with integrated Korean medicine treatment results in greater improvements in joint range of motion, pain, and function in shoulder joint disorders. We expect that this will broaden treatment options for patients seeking conservative therapy in the future."

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