Clinical Efficacy of Different Therapies for Painful Shoulder Conditions: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized...

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate, through a network meta-analysis, the short- and long-term efficacy of both Western medical therapies and traditional Chinese medical therapy (acupuncture) in improving symptoms of shoulder pain. Methods: A comprehensive computer-based search was conducted in Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PubMed databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to Western and Chinese medical treatments for shoulder pain measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. All researchers independently screened and selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Studies that met quality standards were analyzed using Stata 16.0 and Review Manager 5.4 software. Results: A total of 269 articles were retrieved, and 15 were ultimately included in the network meta-analysis, covering nine types of Western and Chinese medical therapies. The total sample size was 1114 cases, with 557 in an experimental group and 557 in a control group. In terms of reducing VAS scores at 4 weeks after treatment, sham acupuncture was significantly less effective than acupuncture (MD: 19.39; 95% CI: 0.66-38.12), indicating that acupuncture had a better short-term effect on pain relief at 4 weeks. In terms of reducing VAS scores at 12 weeks after treatment, sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronate) was more effective than physical therapy (PT) in reducing long-term pain (MD: -19.57; 95% CI: -37.23--1.90); suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) (MD: -9.11; 95% CI: -16.02--2.20) and arthroscopic capsular release (MD: -16.07; 95% CI: -30.16--1.97) were also more effective than PT. The top three treatments in terms of clinical efficacy for painful shoulder conditions were hyaluronate, SSNB, and arthroscopic capsular release. Conclusions: For the treatment of shoulder pain, hyaluronate, SSNB, and arthroscopic capsular release showed greater potential long-term efficacy in pain reduction than PT, with hyaluronate showing the best effect.