The Effect of Gua Sha Therapy on Pain in Parkinson's Disease: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Pain is a common yet undertreated symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated the effect of Gua Sha therapy on pain in patients with PD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 56 PD patients with pain were randomized into either the experimental group (n=28), receiving 12 sessions of Gua Sha therapy, or the control group (n=28) without additional treatment. Participants underwent assessment at baseline, after the twelfth invention, and at the 2-month follow-up timepoints. The primary outcome was KPPS and VAS. Secondary outcomes included UPDRS I-III, PDSS-2, HADS, PDQ-39, and blood biomarkers (5-HT, IL-8, IL-10). RESULTS: The experimental group reported a significant improvement in pain severity, motor functions, affective disorder, and sleep quality (P < 0.05). Furthermore, increasing trends in both 5-HT and IL-10, as well as decreasing trends in IL-8 were observed. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: The preliminary findings suggest that Gua Sha therapy may be effective and safe for alleviating pain and improving other disease-related symptoms in PD patients.