Effect of Tung’s Acupuncture on Walk and Balance Function in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of Tung’s acupuncture on walk and balance function in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Method Ninety-two eligible PD patients were randomized into a control group and a treatment group, 46 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by Levodopa, while the treatment group was additionally intervened by Tung’s acupuncture. The two groups were both treated for 20 d. Before and after the treatment, the walk and balance function were evaluated by the indices of NeuroCom Balance Master, including Walk Across (WLK), Step/Quick Turn (SNT), and Timed Up & Go Test (TUGT), and the results were compared between the two groups. Result The walk speed, step length, swing in turning, time-consumption in turning, and TUGT were improved after the intervention in both groups (P<0.05), and the improvements in the treatment group were more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Tung’s acupuncture plus oral administration of Levodopa can markedly improve the walk and balance function in patients with PD.