RESUMEN

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Shixuan (EX-UE11) plus rehabilitation in improving the upper-limb spasticity and hand function after cerebral stroke. Method Sixty patients with upper-limb spasm due to cerebral stroke were randomized into two groups. The observation group was intervened by conventional acupuncture plus needling Shixuan and rehabilitation training, while the control group was by conventional acupuncture plus rehabilitation training. The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were evaluated before and after the intervention. The effects of the two methods in improving the upper-limb spastic intensity, hand function, and activities of daily living after cerebral stroke were evaluated based on the scores before and after the intervention. Result After treatment, the upper-limb spastic intensity and muscle tension decreased in both groups, and there was a significant difference in comparing the MAS score between the two groups (P<0.05); the improvement of MBI in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture at Shixuan plus rehabilitation can produce a more significant efficacy in treating upper-limb spasm, improving hand function and activities of daily living after cerebral stroke, compared to the conventional acupuncture plus rehabilitation.