Discussion on the treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis

The severity and location of scapulohumeral periarthritis should be identified for determining its treatment method: when the wei exterior is initially invaded by external pathogens for the first time, the location of disease is shallow, therefore, the shallow needling should be performed, which can contribute to diffusing and discharging pathogens of wei exterior. If pathogens had invaded for a long time, they can enter the ying level from wei level, so the acupuncture on ying level should be conducted to discharge the blood stasis and stagnation, thus removing the pathogenic qi and maintaining the healthy qi. If pathogens had invaded for a long time, the meridians and collaterals will be obstructed, and the penetration moxibustion method should be adopted to make the heat penetrate deeply, thereby achieving the effects of warming the meridians and expelling bi. The therapy should be chosen based on syndromes, so meridians can be dredged, and qi-blood can be harmonized, finally the disease will be cured. The precise determination of the location can ensure the success of manipulations. After the nature of disease is identified, targeted methods of acupuncture, bloodletting and fire needling can be performed for treatment of diseases, as a result, “normal physiological activities can be maintained”.