ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effectiveness of electroacupuncture plus bloodletting in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke.Method Eighty-four patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 42 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by electroacupuncture plus bloodletting and rehabilitation training, while the control group was intervened by rehabilitation training. After 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the treatment, Kubota's water drinking test and clinical bedside assessment were evaluated to measure the short-term and long-term therapeutic efficacies. By observing the change of clinical bedside assessment score, the effect of electroacupuncture plus bloodletting on certain symptoms of deglutition disorder was analyzed.Result The total effective rate was 90.5% in the treatment group versus54.8% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).Respectively after 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the intervention, the drinking water test scores in the treatment group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05). The bedside assessment scores in the treatment group were better than those in the control group respectively after 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Post-treatment water drinking and bedside assessment scores were significantly better than pre-treatment scores in both groups (P<0.05). According to the observation of short-term and long-term change of bedside assessment, electroacupuncture plus bloodletting significantly improved both short-term and long-term scores of throat function, pharynx reflex, involuntary cough, throat movement, and swallowing cough (P<0.05).Conclusion Clinical observation showed that electroacupuncture plus bloodletting can produce significant short-term and long-term therapeutic efficacies in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke. Electroacupuncture plus bloodletting can produce satisfactory effects in improving mouth-phase and pharynx-phase symptoms and signs in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activatingmethod in treating deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke.Method Sixty patients with deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke in acute stage were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The two groups both received symptomatic neurological treatment. In the two groups, acupoints including Lianquan (CV23), Huiyan (Extra), Baihui (GV20), and bilateral Shuaigu (GB8), Wangu (GB12), Zhaohai (KI6), Lieque (LU7),and Yinlingquan (SP9) were selected. The observation group was intervened by ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activating method; the control group was intervened by ordinary needling method plus G6805 therapeutic appliance with sparse-dense wave for 20 min. Prior tothe treatment and after 10 treatment courses, the two groups were evaluated by using Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) and Kubota's water drinking test for swallowing function.Result After 10 treatment courses, the total effective rate was 96.7%in the observation group versus 83.3% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); the VFSS score in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.01); the water drinking test score in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.01). The results indicated that the therapeutic efficacy was more significant in the observation group compared to that in the control group.Conclusion ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activating method can produce a more significant efficacy in treating deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke in acute stage compared with sparse-dense-wave electroacupuncture.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effects of neuromuscular stimulation (NMES) intensity on post-stroke dysphagia.Methods Thirty patients with dysphagia resulting from a stroke were randomly divided into a control group,an NMES group,and an intensive NMES group,with 10 patients in each.The 3 groups all received conven-tional swallowing training.Patients in the NMES group also received NMES once a day and those in the intensive NMES group received it twice a day.Kubota's water drinking test and videofluoroscopy were used to assess the subjects' swallowing function before treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.Results After 2 weeks,the average water drinking test score was significantly better in the intensive NMES group than in the control group.The fluoroscopic results of all three groups had improved significantly,but the results in the NMES group and the intensive NMES group were significantly better than those of the control group.The intensive NMES group also scored significantly higher than the NMES group.Conclusion NMES can improve the swallowing reflex and the contraction of the suprahyoid muscles.It can strengthen the effect of re-learning swallowing.Two NMES sessions a day are better than one.