by Zhang Yongshu(张永书）  (Dep. of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Quanzhou TCM Hospital, Fujian 362000,China)
　　Abstract The present series of treatment were made up of 103 cases of apoplectic hemiplegia patients. 55 cases of them formed stick-needle group and were treated by using pushing-plucking manipulation with stick-needle and 48 cases formed filiform needle group and were treated with routine filiform needle. After 4 courses o f treatment, results showed that the effective rates of stick-needle group and filiform needle group were 54.5% and 52.08% respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between these two groups. Thus , stick needle is useful in convalescence medicine.
　　Key Words Stick-needle Filiform needle Apoplectic hemiplegia

The stick-needle is popular in Quanzhou District of Fujian Province. It is a meticulous acupuncture apparatus made of ox horn and is used to stimulate the acupoint by pushing and plucking the local skin and muscles repeatedly, producing acupuncture-like sensations and effectiveness. It is thus termed as stick-needle. Professor Chen Yinglong, the late acupuncturist, the former chief of Xiamen TCM Hospital said that stick-needle had dull-round and sharp tips and could be manipulated with reinforcing and reducing methods to treat both deficiency and excess syndrome and also called it as “Taiji Stick". The author of the present paper used this kind of stick needle to treat headache, vertigo, etc. by stimulating Touwei (ST 8), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), etc. and achieved satisfactory result. When sent to Indonesia by Fujian Health Bureau and working in the Medical Center of TCM of Jakarta in 1996-1997, I treated 103 cases of apoplectic hemiplegia patients with the same therapy.
　　General Material
　　Apoplexia was diagnosed according to “the Criteria of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diagnosing Wind Stroke and Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect" revised by China TCM Medical Association in 1986. Patients included in this series of observation were those with a duration of disease being less than or equal to one year, aged from 45 to 65 years and having no any other organic diseases and concomitant complications and with the starting marks being less than or equal to 12 determined by using the scoring method for evaluating the therapeutic effect listed in the following Table 1 and 2. Patients contained Indonesian Chinese, original inhabitants and those of other races. 55 cases were treated with stick-needle and 48 cases treated with filiform needle. Male and female patients were 65 and 38 cases separately.
　　Treatment Methods
　　1. Acupoint Groups
　　(1) Baihui (GV 20), Zusanli (ST 36, both), Jianyu (LI 15, the affected side), Shousanli (LI 10), Waiguan (TE 5), Huantiao (GB 30) and Jiexi (ST 41); (2) Touwei (ST 8, both), Sanyinjiao (SP 6, the affected side), Jianjing (GB 21 ), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Juliao (GB 29) and Taichong (LR 3);
　　(3) Sishenchong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Jugu (LI 16, the affected side), Zhouliao (LI 12), Sanjian (LI 3) and Kunlun (BL 60). These acupoint groups were used in turn.
　　2. Needle Apparatus and Operation
　　(1) Stick needle was prepared by using ox horn, about 6 cm long, with one end being round dull tip and the other end being flat like a knife (the ventral edge being slightly arched and the tip being sharp). The middle part, the handle of the stick is cylinder-shaped (shown as the following figure ). The round en d is about 0.5 cm and the knife-like end is about 0.7 cm in diameter. The operator used his/her left hand to press and rub the acupoint area about 1-2 min and then held the stick-needle tip to push and pluck the acupoint for a moment. Stimulating the acupoint with the round end of the stick-needle: Pushing mildly, pressing slowly, rotating the stick-needle head repeatedly, evenly and force fully, causing the patient to feel comfortable, warm and relaxed throughout the whole body. Stimulating the acupoint with the knife-edge-like end: Plucking tendons and muscles left-ward, and right-ward, upward and downward forcefully and repeatedly , causing the patient to experience sore, distending and numb sensations, which is used to dredge meridians and expel pathogenic factors. If necessary, the sharp part of the knife-like end may be used to stimulate the acupoint area for strengthening the stimulating strength.
　　(2) Filiform needle Acupoints were stimulated with the routine puncturing method of filiform needle. The treatment was conducted once daily, with 10 sessions being a therapeutic course and a 3-5 day interval between two courses. After 4 courses of treatment, the therapeutic effect was analyzed.
　　Criteria for Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect
　　The recovery state of motor function was evaluated by using scoring method.
　　1. Scoring Method
　　(1) Shoulder joint: That the upper limbs functioned normally in movement was considered as 0 point; if the up-raising movement of the upper limb was normal but the myodynamia was poor, it was considered as 1 point; if the upper limb raised only to or above the shoulder level, it was considered as 2 points; if the upper limb raised below the shoulder level, it was considered as 3 points; and if the upper limb could not move or could move forward and backward slightly, it was considered as 4 points. (2) Finger joints : The normal function of the finger was considered as 0 point; if the finger joints had no any difficulty in moving and only the myodynamia was poor, it was regarded as 1 point; if the patient extended fingers while ma king a fist, it was regarded as 2 points; if the patient could bend fingers but could not make a fist, it was considered as 3 points; and if the patient could not move his or her fingers, it was regarded as 4 points.
　　 (3) Hip joint: If the hip joint moved normally, it was considered as 0 point ; if the lower limb could raise over 450, it was regarded as 1 point; if the lower limb could raise less than 45oC, it was considered as 2 points; if the limb could move forward or backward or swing slightly, it was considered as 3 points; and if the limb could not move, it was considered as 4 points.
　　(4) Phalangeal joints of the lower limb The normal function of the phalangeal joints was considered as 0 point; if the phalangeal joints moved freely but the myodynamia was weak, it was considered as 1 point; if these joints could not bend or extend completely, it was considered as 2 points; if these joints could move slightly, it was considered as 3 points; and if these joints could not move, it was considered as 4 points.
　　(5) Comprehensive function If the patient could take care of himself or herself in daily life and moved freely, it was regarded as 0 point; if the patient could live independently and to ok part in simple labor but had some defects in above-mentioned functions, it w as considered as 1 point; if the patient could walk and take care of himself or herself in daily life but still needed some help from other people, it was considered as 2 points; if the patient could take steps independently but needed immediate looking after by other people from time to time, it was considered as 3 points; and if the patient only lay in bed, it was considered as 4 points.
　　2. Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect
　　The therapeutic effect was evaluated by using percentage, i.e. [(the score summed up before treatment－the score gained after treatment) ÷ the score summed up before treatment ]×100%. Basically cured:?85%; markedly effective:?50% ; effective:?20%; failed: 0.05>0.05 

Table 2. Comparison between the Two Groups in the Therapeutic Effect  GroupsCases
　　Basically cured
　　Marked effective
　　Effective  Failed  Mean R-valueStick needle
　　55 8      11            1125
　　0.1258
　　Filiform needle
　　 487
　　 810  13  0.1108