OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects between normal acupuncture and shallow needling with short-needle, and search for therapeutic tool and method easy to be accepted by the patient of periarthritis of shoulder.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty-two cases of periarthritis of shoulder were randomly divided into 2 groups. They were treated by normal acupuncture and shallow needling with short-needle, respectively. The two groups were same in acupoints selected and the therapeutic course, and their therapeutic effects and the accepting degrees of the patient were investigated.

RESULTSThe cured rate was 67.1% in the normal acupuncture group and 69.7% in the shallow needling with short-needle group, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONNormal acupuncture and shallow needling with short-needle have similar therapeutic effect on periarthritis of shoulder, but the shallow needling with short-needle can obviously relieve the pain and mental fear in treatment, easy to be accepted.