Stroke patients who undergo scalp electro-acupuncture show better functional improvement than those who receive placebo electro-stimulation, say researchers from Brazil. Sixty-two subjects who were at least 18 months post-diagnosis of ischaemic stroke were randomised to receive ten sessions of placebo or active low-frequency electrical stimulation (2/100Hz) at subcutaneous acupuncture needles in the scalp. The results showed a significant difference in functional improvement between the two groups in favour of the active acupuncture group based on a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. However, two other functional scales failed to show significant differences between the two treatment groups. (Clinical effects of scalp electrical acupuncture in stroke: a sham-controlled randomized clinical trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Apr;18(4):341-6).
Categories: Stroke
