Objective: Apoplexy is a common encountered disease with high mobility and sequelae. It is necessary to establish effective therapies for the disease.

Methods: According to the knowledge in TCM that blood stagnation, liver wind, phlegm-turbidity causing brocade of the aperture of the heart resulting in Qi stagnation are the pathogenic factors of apoplexy, the authors have established an acupuncture method called XING NAO KAI QIAO. In the method, points in Yin meridians and the Governor Vessel are primary ones selected, and emphasis has been made on the quantity of acupuncture maneuvers.

Results: Since 1972, 13262 cases of hospitalized apoplexy patients were treated with XING NAO KAI QIAO method. Among them, 6547 cases (49.37%) were cured, 2722 cases markedly improved, (20.52%), 3589 cases improved (27.06%), 33 cases unimproved (0.25%), and 371 cases(2.8%) died, being 96.95% in the effective rate. In addition, 270 apoplexy patients at the acute stage were divided into XING NAO KAI QIAO group (Group 1), conventional acupuncture group (Group 2), and conventional drug group (Group 3) with 90 cases in each group. A comparison made among the 3 groups showed that the therapeutic effect in Group1 was considerably better than that in either Group 2 or Group 3. At the same time, 30 cases of acute encephalorrhagia and cerebral infarction were chosen for observing changes of certain neurochemical indices. It was found that XING NAO KAI QIAO acupuncture maneuver reduced the contents of lipid peroxide (LPO) and thromboxane (TXA2), and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of prostacyclin (PGI2). It is indicated that XING NAO KAI QIAO acupuncture method influences various pathological processes in apoplexy.

Conclusion: XING NAO KAI QIAO acupuncture method is an effective therapy for treating
　　apoplexy. It functions to involve various pathological links. It has beneficial regulative function on unnormalized hemodynamics. It can provide inhibition on free radical damage, and protection of the structures and functions of the brain by way of elevating SOD activity and alleviating neural injury induced by lipid peroxidation. PGI2and TXA2 are important factors for maintaining normal blood circulation and preventing thrombosis formation. The results indicate that XING NAO KAI QIAO acupuncture method can obviously enhance the depressed PGI2, and reduce the increased TXA2 to balance the value of PGI2/ TXA2.

By Shi Xuemin, Li Jun, etc.