ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of contralateral acupuncture in treating motor dysfunction in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Methods Sixty patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomized to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. Both group received electroacupuncture in addition to conventional rehabilitation training. Besides, the treatment group received electroacupuncture at points on the healthy side in the morning and on the affected side in the afternoon and the control group, electroacupuncture at points on the affected side in both the morning and afternoon. Motor function was assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), the modified Barthel Index (MBI), integrated electromyography (iEMG) and median frequency (MF) in the two groups of patients before and after treatment.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the FMA score, the MBI score, iEMG and MF in the two groups (P<0.01). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the FMA score, the MBI score and iEMG between the treatment and control groups (P<0.01,P<0.05).ConclusionContralateral and healthy side acupuncture can markedly improve motor function in acute stroke patients.