Post-stroke hand spasm treated with penetrating acupuncture combined with kinesiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the differences in the clinical effect on post-stroke hand spasm among the combined treatment of penetrating acupuncture and kinesiotherapy, the simple application of penetrating acupuncture and the simple application of kinesiotherapy.@*METHODS@#A total of 105 patients with post-stroke hand spasm were randomized into a penetrating acupuncture group, a kinesiotherapy group and a combined treatment group, 35 cases in each one, of which, 2 cases were dropped out in either the combined treatment group and the penetrating acupuncture group, and 1 case dropped out in the kinesiotherapy group. The routine rehabilitation training, e.g. occupational therapy and Bobath exercise and medication were adopted in all of the three groups. In the penetrating acupuncture group, the penetrating needling technique was exerted from Hegu (LI 4) to Houxi (SI 3) and from Waiguan (TE 5) to Sidu (TE 9) on the affected side. In the kinesiotherapy group, the persistent movement or passive movement was exerted on the wrist joint, the metacarpophalangeal joints and the interphalangeal joints. In the combined treatment group, the penetrating acupuncture (the same as the penetrating acupuncture group) was exerted combined with kinesiotherapy (the same as the kinesiotherapy group). In each group, the treatment was given once a day, 30 min in each time, 6 treatments a week in total, with the interval of 1 day between the courses. The treatment for 2 weeks was as one course and 2 courses were required totally. Before and after treatment, the scores of hand spasm index, hand-wrist motor function and the activity of daily living (ADL) were compared in each group.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of hand spasm index were reduced as compared with those before treatment in each group (0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Compared with the simple application of either penetrating acupuncture or kinesiotherapy, the combined treatment of them achieves the significant improvements in hand spasm degree, hand wrist motor function and ADL in patients with stroke.

Clinical observation on plum-blossom needle combined with rehabilitation training for hand spasm after stroke / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect difference between plum-blossom needle combined with rehabilitation training and conventional rehabilitation training for hand spasm after stroke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 61 patients were randomly divided into a comprehensive treatment group (30 cases) and a rehabilitation training group (31 cases). In the rehabilitation training group, Bobath occupational therapy, OT training, and hand function training were adopted, once every day; on the basis of treatment in the rehabilitation group, plum-blossom needle was applied at the lung meridian of hand-, heart meridian of hand-, pericardium meridian of hand- in the comprehensive treatment group. The treatment was given once every two days, three weeks as one course in the two gnoups. After 3 courses of treatment, clinical efficacy evaluation was performed, and the modified Ashworth scale and Fugl-Meyer (FMA) motor function scores were assessed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the grade for Ashworth scale and FMA scores in the comprehensive treatment group and the rehabilitation trainning group were better than those before treatment (all <0.05), and the improvements in hand spasm and hand fuction in the comprehensive treatment group were superior apparently to those in the rehabilitation trainning group (both <0.05) The total effective rate of hand function was 93.3% (28/30) in the comprehensive treatment group, which was better than 74.2% (23/31) in the rehabilitation training group (<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Plum-blossom needle combined with rehabilitation training are more effective than simple rehabilitation training for hand spasm after stroke.</p>