RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with western medicine for treatment of essential tremor. METHODS: Sixty cases of essential tremor were randomly divided into two groups, 30 cases in each group. The combined acupuncture and medication group was treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Taixi (KI 3), etc. and oral administration of Propranolol; the medication group was treated with oral administration of Propranolol only. The comprehensive effects and the scores of tremor were observed after 30 days of treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 90.0% (27/30) in the combined acupuncture and medication group was obviously higher than that of 56.7% (17/30) in the medication group (P < 0.01), the tremor score of the combined acupuncture and medication group was obviously better than that of the medication group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with oral administration of Propranolol has better therapeutic effect on essential tremor than that of oral administration of Propranolol only.