Efficacy and safety of penetration acupuncture on head for acute intracerebral hemorrhage

Abstract

Background:Acupuncture, especially acupuncture treatment on head for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), has long been disputable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of penetration acupuncture on head in patients with acute ICH.Methods:Eighty-two patients with acute ICH were randomized to receive penetration acupuncture treatment on head combined with conventional treatment (treatment group [TG]) or conventional treatment only (control group [CG]). Acupuncture treatments were given in 24 sessions over 4 weeks, with 3-month follow-up period. Measures included Clinical Neurological Function Deficit Scale (CNFDS), Barthel Index (BI), vital signs (respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation), and hematoma absorption ratio.Results:Both groups showed a progressively improvement in CNFDS and BI scores from day 7 to 90. The TG showed a significantly greater improvement in CNFDS than CG over time (P < 0.05). However, BI failed to show significant difference between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The vital signs were stable and no expansion of hematoma occurred over the course of acupuncture treatment.Conclusion:Penetration acupuncture treatment on head appeared to be safe over the course of treatment on acute ICH and may result in additional functional improvements detected in the CNFDS but not reflected in the BI. A larger-scale clinical trial with longer follow-up assessments is required to confirm these findings.

Electroacupuncture at GV20‑GB7 regulates mitophagy to protect against neurological deficits following intracerebral hemorrhage via inhibition of apoptosis

“…Although SA treatment for acute ICH has been disputed ( 58 ), clinical trials have proved its efficacy and safety ( 59 ). A randomized controlled study demonstrated that SA, combined with conventional treatment, increased the hematoma absorption ratio and alleviated neurological impairment compared with conventional treatment alone ( 60 ). A clinical study by Sun et al ( 61 ) of 500 cases of patients with cerebrovascular hemiplegia treated via acupuncture on Baihui-Qubin achieved a satisfactory therapeutic effect.…”

Acupuncture treatment for optic atrophy

“…Several previous studies have reported that acupuncture can treat OPA effectively and safety. [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20] However, its effectiveness for treating this disorder is still inconclusive. Therefore, this study will systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of patients with OPA.…”

“…[8,9,10,11] It has been used to treat a variety of conditions and has achieved a promising effectiveness. [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20] Several previous studies have reported that acupuncture may also benefit for patients with OPA. [21,22,23,24,25,26] However, its effectiveness for this disorder is still inconclusive.…”

Signal Transduction Pathways of Acupuncture for Treating Some Nervous System Diseases

“…Acupuncture could improve the hypoperfusion status and hematoma absorption, reduce brain edema, and promote neurogenesis in the brain [68]. Thus, some studies have reported that acupuncture is beneficial for treating cerebral hemorrhage because it results in functional improvements [69, 70]. Acupuncture also regulates inflammatory factors, such as IL-6, IL-1 β , and NF- κ B, prevents apoptosis by reducing the expression of p53 protein, and promotes neurogenesis by increasing the levels of BDNF and nerve growth factors [71].…”