Table 1.

Search strategy used in PubMed database.

Number	Search terms
#1	“scapulohumeral periarthritis”[MeSH Terms] OR “frozen shoulder”[MeSH Terms] OR “adhesive periarthritis of shoulder”[MeSH Terms] OR “periarthritis of shoulder”[MeSH Terms]
#2	“scapulohumeral periarthritis”[Title/Abstract] OR “frozen shoulder ”[Title/Abstract] OR “adhesive periarthritis of shoulder”[Title/Abstract] OR “periarthritis of shoulder”[Title/Abstract] OR “shoulder pain”[Title/Abstract] OR “Shoulder osteodystrophy”[Title/Abstract] OR “Shoulder osteoarthritis”[Title/Abstract] OR “Shoulder Periarthritis”[Title/Abstract] OR “Shoulder Pains”[Title/Abstract]
#3	#1 OR #2
#4	“warm needle acupuncture”[MeSH Terms] OR “warming acupuncture”[MeSH Terms] OR “needle warming moxibustion”[MeSH Terms]
#5	“warm needle acupuncture”[Title/Abstract] OR “warming acupuncture”[Title/Abstract] OR “needle warming moxibustion”[Title/Abstract] OR “needle warming moxibustion”[Title/Abstract] OR “needle warming”[Title/Abstract]
#6	#4 OR #5
#7	(“randomized controlled trial”[Publication Type] OR “controlled clinical trial”[Publication Type] OR “randomized”[Title/Abstract] OR “placebo”[Title/Abstract] OR “clinical trials as topic”[MeSH Terms] OR “randomly”[Title/Abstract] OR “trial”[Title]) NOT (“animals”[MeSH Terms] NOT “humans”[MeSH Terms])
#8	#3 AND #6 AND #7