Effects of acupuncture treatment on post-stroke upper limb spasticity

Objective To investigate the mechanism and effect of acupuncture treatment on post-stroke spasticity of the upper limbs.Methods Sixty-three patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity and Ashworth scale scores of 1-3 at upper limb flexor were randomly divided into an experimental group(32 cases)and a control group(31 cases).The experimental group was treated with acupuncture treatment,once a day for three months,and the control group Bobath therapy.The treatment effects of the two groups were evaluated before and after treatment with Ashworth Scale,Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA) and the changes of the F-wave.Results The clinical symptoms were obviously improved in the experimental group(31.25%)compared with the control group(12.9%)(P0.05).The FMA scores in both two groups were increased after treatment,and the increase was greater in experimental group than in control group(P0.01).The F-wave amplitude and frequency in the two group also decreased(P0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture therapy is convinient,effective and without side-effects for treatment of post-stroke upper limb spasticity.