Xiaohong Wang1, Qi Zhang2, Baojuan Cui2, Laigang Huang2, Daoqing Wang2, Lan Ye3, Junhua Sun3. 1. Department of Geriatric Medicine, the Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250031, China. 2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250031, China. 3. Cancer Center, the Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250031, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with post-stroke hemiplegia could benefit from long-term treatment with scalp cluster (SC) acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation (ES) and to evaluate the feasibility of this treatment to improve motor and living abilities. METHODS:Twenty patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: SC acupuncture and SC acupuncture with ES (SC and SC + ES, respectively). All participants also received rehabilitation training. All participants were blindly evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale for motor ability, the modified Barthel Index for living ability, and a scale for the degree of neurological deficits. Outcome was assessed at three points before randomized grouping, at the beginning or treatment, and after 4 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Following 4 weeks treatment, all the patients exhibited significant improvements in aspects of motor ability, living ability, and the severity of neurological deficits. The experimental group (SC + ES) scored higher on the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (68 ¡À 12) and the modified Barthel Index (49 ¡À 9) than the control (SC) group (50 ¡À 13, 36 ¡À 13, respectively). CONCLUSION: When patients with post-stroke hemiplegia are treated using SC acupuncture with ES, motor and living ability can improve more than if they were treated with SC acupuncture alone.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with post-stroke hemiplegia could benefit from long-term treatment with scalp cluster (SC) acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation (ES) and to evaluate the feasibility of this treatment to improve motor and living abilities. METHODS: Twenty patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: SC acupuncture and SC acupuncture with ES (SC and SC + ES, respectively). All participants also received rehabilitation training. All participants were blindly evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale for motor ability, the modified Barthel Index for living ability, and a scale for the degree of neurological deficits. Outcome was assessed at three points before randomized grouping, at the beginning or treatment, and after 4 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Following 4 weeks treatment, all the patients exhibited significant improvements in aspects of motor ability, living ability, and the severity of neurological deficits. The experimental group (SC + ES) scored higher on the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (68 ¡À 12) and the modified Barthel Index (49 ¡À 9) than the control (SC) group (50 ¡À 13, 36 ¡À 13, respectively). CONCLUSION: When patients with post-stroke hemiplegia are treated using SC acupuncture with ES, motor and living ability can improve more than if they were treated with SC acupuncture alone.