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Acupuncture improves balance in stroke patients - Journal of Chinese Medicine, Feb 2010 |
| Posted by Paula Hutchinson (paulahutchinson) on Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 11:03 AM |
Investigators in Taiwan have found that acupuncture has an immediate effect on improving balance in stroke patients. In a single-blinded, randomised, controlled study, 30 stroke patients were allocated to experimental and control groups. All participants had needles inserted at Baihui DU-20 and at four surrounding points (1.5 can anterior, posterior and lateral to Baihui DU-20) for 20 minutes. In the experimental group the needles were manipulated to obtain deqi, while in the control group the needles were not manipulated. Balance functions, measured as the time taken to reach a standing from a seated position and the time taken to walk six metres decreased equally in both experimental and control groups, although the experimental group showed a greater reduction in the displacement areas of their centres of gravity compared with the control group. In addition, the strength of hip flexor and knee extensor muscles were increased on both paralysed and non-paralysed sides of patients in the experimental group, but not in the control group. (Acupuncture stimulation improves balance function in stroke patients: a single-blinded controlled, randomized study. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(3):483-94).
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