[Effect of heat-reinforcing needling combined with rehabilitation training on the motor function of ischemic stroke patients].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of heat-reinforcing needling combined with modem rehabilitation training on the motor function of ischemic stroke patients.
Methods: Fifty case of ischemic stroke patients were randomly divided into rehabilitation (Rehab, n=40) and acupuncture (Acup) + Rehab (n=40) groups. Heat-reinforcing needling was applied to Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 14), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), once daily for 3 weeks. Rehabilitation training including healthy limb and joint movement was conducted, once daily for 3 weeks. The patient's neurological impairment degree and the motor function (Fugl-Meyer index) were evaluated before and after the treatment.
Results: After the treatment, of the each 40 cases in Rehab and Acup + Rehab groups, 10 (25.0%) and 17 (42.5%) experienced marked improvement in their symptoms, 17 (42.5%) and 18 (45.0%) had improvement, 13 (32.5%) and 5 (12.5%) failed, with the effective rates being 67.5% and 87.5% respectively. The therapeutic effect of Acup + Rehab group was markedly superior to that of Rehab group (P<0.05). Comparison between two groups showed no significant differences in the scores of clinical neurological impairment degree and the scores of Fugl-Meyer index before the treatment (P>0.05). After the treatment, the scores of neurological impairment degree of two groups both decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the scores of the Fugl-Meyer index of the upper and lower limbs increased significantly in two groups (P<0.05). The score of neurological impairment degree of Acup + Rehab group was significantly lower than that of Rehab group (P<0.05), while the scores of the Fugl-Meyer index of two limbs of Acup + Rehab group were obviously higher than those of Rehab group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The therapy of heat-reinforcing needling combined with rehabilitation training is significantly superior to that of simple rehabilitation training in improving neurological impairment and motor function of ischemic stroke patients.