Electro-acupuncture combined hyperbaric oxygen treating hemiplegia after stroke in 50 cases

Zhang Zhigang

BACKGROUND:

Motor obstacle of limbs directly resulted from hemiplegia after stroke seriously affect patients’ daily work and living. Conventional medicine treatment can improve the function of hemiplegic limbs at some degree, but more and more studies confirm that conventional acupuncture therapy is an effective method to improve motor function of limbs. By point stimulating channel system, acupuncture therapy can regulate qi and smooth channel system, thus regulate whole body to achieve the goal of curing hemiplegia. Acupuncture combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy can accelerate regeneration of cerebral cells, and promote the recovery of motor function of paralyzed limbs.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe curative effect of electro-acupuncture combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy which to treat hemiplegia after stroke.

UNIT:

Department of TCM, Jinan Fourth People’s Hospital

SUBJECTS:

50 cases were all from department of Neurology. Among them, 39 male, 11 female, aged 39-74 years (averagely 56.3 years), disease course of 35 cases was within 2 months, and that of 15 cases was 3 months-2 years. There were 31 cases with left-side hemiplegia, 17 cases with right-side hemiplegia, and 2 cases with double-side hemiplegia. Among them, 38 cases with cerebral infarctiion and 12 cases with cerebral hemorrhage (one after cerebral hemorrhage surgery). All cases were confirmed on CT.

INTERVENTION:

All cerebral infarction patients with stable conditions for 0.5 month above and cerebral hemorrhage cases with stable conditions for 1 month above could be treated as follows. The points of Chienyu, Ch’ü’ih, Shousanli, Waikuan, Hoku, Huan’iao, Yanglingch’ üuan, chüehku, Tsusanli, Shanchuhsu and T’aich’ung were selected and treated with electro-acupuncture. If patients’ eyes and mouth deviated, the points of Tits’ang, Chiach’e and Qianzheng were added. If patients could not speak clearly, the points of Liench’ üan and Chiach’ engchinang were added (points from sick side). After getting sensation of acupuncture, 2-4 points were selected to be simulated continuously for 30 minutes at the intensity that the patient felt adaptive, once a day and 10 times as a treating course. at the same time, we combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Zhejiang YYC-1800A six-person HBO chamber was applied, high pressure oxygen was given through mask for 60 minutes, pressure as 0.2 MPa, interval as 10 minutes, once a day and 10 times as a treating course.

RESULTS:

Recovery: Paralytic limbs function restores. Patients can walk at random and their muscle power achieves IV-V degree, and can look after themselves. There ware 17 cases, effective obviously: Paralytic limbs muscle power achieve IV degree. Patients can basically look after themselves. There ware 15 cases. Effective: paralytic limbs muscle power achieves II degree, but it is difficult for patients to walk independently. There were 16 cases. Non-effective: Patient’s symptom and sign have not obvious changes. There were 2 cases.

CONCLUSION:

Acupuncture intervention combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy could accelerate motor function recovery in hemiplegic patients with stroke and have no side effect.