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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Additional effects of acupuncture on early comprehensive rehabilitation in patients with mild to moderate acute ischemic stroke: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Authors: Lifang Chen, Jianqiao Fang, Ruijie Ma, Xudong Gu, Lina Chen, Jianhua Li, Shouyu Xu

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Acupuncture is not considered a conventional therapy for post-stroke sequelae but it might have some additional positive effects on early rehabilitation. We conducted this trial to determine whether acupuncture has additional effects in early comprehensive rehabilitation for acute ischemic stroke and dysfunctions secondary to stroke.

Methods

Two hundred fifty patients were randomized into two groups: acupuncture (AG) or no acupuncture (NAG). Eighteen acupuncture treatment sessions were performed over a 3-week period. The primary outcome was blindly measured with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at week 1, week 3, and week 7. Secondary outcomes included: Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) for motor function, bedside swallowing assessment (BSA) and videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) for swallowing function, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognitive function, and the adverse reaction of acupuncture for safety assessment.

Results

Significant improvements from acupuncture treatment were observed in NIHSS (p < 0.001), VFSS (p < 0.001), MMSE (p < 0.001), MoCA (p = 0.001), but not obtained from FMA (p = 0.228). Changes from baseline of all above variables (except FMA) also had the same favorable results. A significant improvement in FMA lower extremity subscale appeared in AG (p = 0.020), but no significant difference was found for the upper extremity subscale (p = 0.707). More patients with swallowing disorder recovered in AG (p = 0.037). Low incidence of mild reaction of acupuncture indicated its safety.

Conclusions

This trial showed acupuncture is safe and has additional multi-effect in improving neurologic deficits, swallowing disorder, cognitive impairment, and lower extremity function, but has no significant improvement for upper extremity function during this short-term study period.

Trial registration

Chictr.​org ChiCTR-TRC −12001971 (March 2012).
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Additional effects of acupuncture on early comprehensive rehabilitation in patients with mild to moderate acute ischemic stroke: a multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors
Lifang Chen
Jianqiao Fang
Ruijie Ma
Xudong Gu
Lina Chen
Jianhua Li
Shouyu Xu
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1193-y

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