To observe the clinical efficacy of the "Ear Three-Needle" acupuncture in treating residual dizziness after successful canalith repositioning procedures for benign paroxy-smal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Eighty patients with residual dizziness after BPPV repositioning who visited the Department of Neurology and the Vestibular Center at Zhuhai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine between November 2022 and November 2024 were randomly assigned via a random number table to either an acupuncture group or a control group, with 40 cases in each. The control group received conventional Western medication, while the acupuncture group received additional acupuncture treatment at the "Ear Three-Needle" acupoints (Tinggong [SI19], Tinghui [GB2], and Wangu [GB12]) for 30 minutes per session, once every other day, for two consecutive weeks. Changes in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory total score(DHI-T) and its subscale scores—physical (DHI-P), emotional (DHI-E), and functional (DHI-F)—were observed in both groups before and after treatment. Additionally, peripheral blood levels of red blood cell distribution width (RDW), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The proportion of patients with a DHI-T score ≤30 at the end of weeks 1 and 2, as well as the marked efficacy rate at week 4, were compared between the two groups.

Compared with baseline, the total DHI-T scores in both groups decreased at the end of weeks 1 and 2 and at the week 4 follow-up (P<0.01). The reduction was significantly associated with the group factor, time factor, and their interaction (P<0.01). Similarly, significant decreases were observed in the subscale scores of DHI-P, DHI-E, and DHI-F at all post-treatment time points (P<0.01), with the changes also being significantly correlated with the group, time, and their interaction (P<0.01). After two weeks of treatment, the acupuncture group demonstrated significantly lower levels of RDW and MDA (P<0.05), alongside higher SOD levels (P<0.01), compared to the control group. At the end of weeks 1 and 2, the proportion of patients with mild dizziness was significantly higher in the acupuncture group than in the control group (P<0.05). At the week 4 follow-up, the marked efficacy rate in the acupuncture group was also significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).

The "Ear Three-Needle" acupuncture can alleviate residual dizziness symptoms and shorten the duration of dizziness. Its mechanism may be associated with the reduction of oxidative stress and improvement of inner ear microcirculation.

To investigate the clinical therapeutic effect on dysphagia following traumatic brain injury (TBI) treated with acupuncture using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).

A total of 68 patients with dysphagia following TBI were enrolled and randomly divided into a control group and an acupuncture group, with 34 patients in each group. In the control group, the routine medical treatment and swallowing rehabilitation training were given. On the basis of the treatment as the control group, the patients in the acupuncture group received acupuncture at Lianquan (CV23), Jia-lianquan (Extra), bilateral Renying (ST23) and Fengchi (GB20), and Fengfu (GV16), with needles retained for 30 min in each treatment. The treatment was delivered once daily, with 6 treatments a week, and for a total of 3 weeks in the two groups. The scores of the standard swallowing assessment (SSA) and Kubota’s water swallow test were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. FEES was used to observe the pharyngeal sensory function, pharyngeal motor function, accumulation of secretions, leakage-aspiration and food residue of the two groups.

The scores of SSA and Kubota’s water swallow test in both groups were reduced in comparison with those before treatment, and the decrease range in the acupuncture group was greater than that in control group (P<0.05). Pharyngeal sensory function, pharyngeal motor function, the score for accumulation of secretion, leakage-aspiration score and food residue degree were all improved in both groups compared with those before treatment, and the improvements in the acupuncture group were superior to the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the acupuncture group was 94.12% (32/34), which was better than that of the control group (79.41%, 27/34, P<0.05).

On the basis of routine medical treatment of internal medicine and rehabilitation training, acupuncture therapy significantly improves swallowing function in patients with dysphagia following TBI, particularly in enhancing pharyngeal motor function and sensory function. Besides, acupuncture effectively reduces the accumulation of pharyngeal secretions, and the severity of food leakage, aspiration, and residue during swallowing.