ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy ofXing Nao Kai Qiao(brain-awakening orifice-opening) needling method plus Frenkel's balance rehabilitation exercise in treating lower-limb dysfunction due to different types of ataxia after stroke.MethodA total of 115 eligible patients were randomized into two groups. Fifty-seven cases in the treatment group were intervened by Xing Nao Kai Qiaoneedling plus rehabilitation training; 58 cases in the control group were intervened byXing Nao Kai Qiaoneedling method alone. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was adopted to evaluate the symptoms, balance function, and therapeutic efficacy before and after the treatment.Result In the treatment group, the markedly effective rate was respectively 72.2%, 83.3% and 61.1% in the cerebella subtype, brainstem subtype and basal ganglia subtype, and the total effectiverate was respectively 100.0%, 94.4% and 94.4%; in the control group, the markedly effective rate was respectively 21.1%, 35.0% and 58.8%, and the total effective rate was respectively 94.7%, 85.0% and 82.4%, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). After the treatment, the BBS score showed significant intra-group differences in both groups (P<0.01); the between-group comparisons showed that there were significant differences in comparing the scores of cerebella and brainstem subtypes after the treatment (P<0.05).ConclusionXing Nao Kai Qiaoneedling method plus Frenkel's rehabilitation exercise can effectively improve the symptoms of poststroke lower-limb ataxia, especially for cerebella and brainstem subtypes.