Effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for poststroke patients with shoulder pain: study protocol for a double-center, randomized, patient- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled, parallel, clinical trial

Background Practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine have suggested that acupuncture could alleviate poststroke shoulder pain, based on the clinical evidence. This study protocol is aimed at showing the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture therapy for stroke survivors with shoulder pain.