Effect of relaxing needling at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions in the patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome at acute stage

To investigate the effect of relaxing needling at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions in the patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) at acute stage.

Eighty patients with post-stroke SHS at acute stage were randomized into an observation group (40 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (40 cases, 1 case was eliminated). In the control group, the routine medication, basic rehabilitation training, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy were administered. In the observation group, besides the treatment as the control group, relaxing needling was delivered at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions. These contracted sites were distributed along three yin meridians of hand and three yang meridians of hand on the affected upper limbs. The intervention was given once daily, 5 times a week and for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, edema degree, modified Barthel index (MBI), and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) for motor function, and the integrated electromyography (iEMG) of surface electromyogram (sEMG) were observed in the two groups. The curative effect was evaluated after treatment and in follow-up of 2 months after treatment in the two groups.

After treatment, VAS scores and the scores of edema degree were reduced when compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P＜0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P＜0.05). MBI and FMA scores increased after treatment compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P＜0.05), and the scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P＜0.05) after treatment. The iEMG values of the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and wrist extensors were elevated after treatment in comparison with those before treatment (P＜0.05) in the two groups, and the values in the observation group were larger than those in the control group after treatment (P＜0.05). The total clinical effective rate in the observation group was 92.3% (36/39), which was better than that of the control group (74.4%, 29/39, P＜0.05) after treatment; and that of the observation group was 97.4% (38/39), which was better than 82.1% (32/39) in the control group (P＜0.05) in follow-up.

Relaxing needling at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions in treatment of post-stroke SHS at acute stage can attenuate the symptoms such as upper limb pain, swelling and spasm, improve motor function and the activity of daily living of patients.