Auricular Intradermal Acupuncture as a Supplementary Motor Rehabilitation Strategy in Poststroke Patients: A Randomized Preliminary Clinical Study

Abstract

We have explored the potential of auricular intradermal acupuncture (AIA) in standard rehabilitation and acupuncture treatment for motor recovery in poststroke patients. is was a randomized, controlled preliminary clinical study in which the patients were randomly assigned to the CT group (conventional treatment, standard rehabilitation, and routine acupuncture) or AIA group (AIA combined with conventional treatment) and underwent 6 sessions in 1 week (6 days). Standard procedures and previously reported acupuncture points were used. Clinical outcomes were measured by the Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA) of flexor and extensor synergy movement (FSM and ESM) of the upper and lower extremities (UE and LE) at days 0, 3, and 6. e assessment was performed by blinded assessors. e AIA group showed a significant increase in FMA-UE/FMA-LE scores on day 3 (P � 0.012 and 0.001, respectively) and day 6 (P � 0.041 and P < 0.001, respectively), but this was not observed in the CT group. Furthermore, unlike the CT group, the AIA group exhibited a significant increase in the FMA-LE score on day 3 (P � 0.004) and the FMA-UE scores on day 6 (P � 0.048). Finally, the correlation between ESM and FMA-UE/FMA-LE was higher than that between FSM and FMA-UE/FMA-LE after treatment: for ESM and UE, r � 0.759, P � 0.007; for ESM and LE, r � 0.697, P � 0.003; for FSM and UE, r � 0.604, P � 0.049; for FSM and LE, r � 0.347, P � 0.188. AIA is useful for motor rehabilitation in poststroke patients, particularly in terms of improving extensor synergy. is trial is registered with CHiCTR1800020150.

Intradermal acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

“…As needles are restricted to the subcutaneous layer and do not penetrate the deep layer, the viscera, nerve trunk, and large blood vessels are preserved, and the technique is safe. IA causes minimal pain given that short needles are used [ 6 ]. Further, dizziness occurs less frequently in IA than in traditional acupuncture [ 7 , 8 ]; hence, IA is more acceptable to patients.…”

“…Although IA is a new technology, there are still some other countries except China, such as Korea [ 9 – 11 ] and Japan [ 12 ], that have used IA treatment in the clinical practice. IA treatment is considered feasible and safe for patients with advanced cancer pain [ 9 ], post-stroke patients [ 6 ], and primary dysmenorrhea patients [ 13 ]. However, there is a paucity of reports on the application of IA in patients with RA.…”

Evaluation of Nursing Effect of Intradermal Acupuncture for Postoperative Flatulence

“…The influence of many factors will inhibit the postoperative nerve reflex function and reduce the physiological function of gastrointestinal tract, thus causing flatulence. Flatulence will affect the recovery effect of parturient after operation, and effective measures in perinatal period can effectively reduce the incidence of flatulence [8].…”

Scalp acupuncture for post-stroke spastic hemiparesis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…[9] Combined with rehabilitation training, this can increase the frequency of motor nerve impulses in the cerebral cortex, enhancing its sensitivity and excitability, thereby facilitating the recovery and consolidation of damaged neural functions. [10] Therefore, incorporating SA into the rehabilitation of patients with post-stroke spastic paralysis can effectively increase patient engagement in treatment and accelerate the reconstruction of motor function. Based on this, we have conducted a systematic review to provide evidence-based medical evidence for clinical practice through the analysis of RCT results.…”