Background Post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) significantly impacts patients' quality of life and functional recovery. While both acupuncture and rehabilitation training have shown promise individually, their combined effect needs systematic evaluation. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Sinomed, CNKI, and Wanfang) for randomized controlled trials comparing combined acupuncture-moxibustion-rehabilitation therapy vs. rehabilitation alone. The primary outcomes included Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scale, visual analog scale (VAS), and Barthel Index (BI) scores. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Results Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials involving 2,175 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed significant improvements in the combination therapy group compared to rehabilitation alone: VAS score (SMD = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19–2.06), FMA scale (SMD = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.41–2.15), and BI/MBI scores (SMD = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.48–1.54). The combination therapy also showed superior effects on swelling reduction (SMD = −1.75, 95% CI: −2.08, −1.42) and total response rate (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01–1.44). Most studies demonstrated low to moderate risk of bias. Conclusion The combination of acupuncture and moxibustion with rehabilitation training appears to be more effective than rehabilitation alone for post-stroke SHS, improving motor function, pain relief, and activities of daily living. However, high heterogeneity warrants careful interpretation and further high-quality studies.
Gao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.