Therapeutic Observation of Early-stage Shoulder-hand Syndrome after Ischemic Stroke Treated with Acupuncture at Distal Points plus Exercise

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at distal points plus exercise in treating early-stage shoulder-hand syndrome due to ischemic stroke. Methods Sixty patients with shoulder-hand syndrome were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 in each group. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture at distal points plus exercise, while the control group was by ordinary acupuncture. Three treatment courses later, the two groups were compared in Visual Analogue Scale(VAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale(FMA), and clinical efficacy. Results The total effective rate was 86.7% in the treatment group versus 63.3% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P0.05). The VAS and FMA scores were changed significantly after intervention in both groups(P0.01, P0.05). After intervention, there were significant differences in comparing the VAS and FMA scores between the two groups(P0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture at distal points plus exercise can produce a higher therapeutic efficacy then ordinary acupuncture in treating early-stage shoulder-hand syndrome after ischemic stroke.