Effect of Acupuncture at Shuigou Point and Baihui Point Combined with Foot Motor Sensory Area on Limb Function and Intracranial Hemodynamics in Patients with Stroke During Convalescence
Abstract: Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Shuigou acupoint(DU 26) and Baihui acupoint(DU 20) combined with foot motor sensory area on limb function and intracranial hemodynamics in patients with stroke during convalescence. Methods: A total of 163 cases of patients with stroke during convalescence were selected and divided into the foot motor sensory area group and the combined acupuncture group according to the random number table method, with 81 and 82 cases in each group respectively. The foot motor sensory area group was treated with acupuncture in the foot motor sensory area group,and the combined acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Shuigou acupoint and Baihui acupoint combined with the foot motor sensory area. The changes in levels of neurotrophin-3(NT-3) and nerve growth factor(NGF),traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scores,indexes of intracranial hemodynamics including peak systolic velocity(Vs),end-diastolic velocity(Vd) and mean blood velocity(Vm) and scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) before and after treatment as well as the clinical effects in the two groups were compared. Results:After treatment,the levels of NT-3 and NGF in the two groups were increased when compared with those before treatment,and the levels of NT-3 and NGF in the combined acupuncture group were higher than those in the foot motor sensory area group(P< 0.05). After treatment,the main symptom scores and the total scores of TCM syndromes in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the main symptom scores and the total score in the combined acupuncture group were lower than those in the foot motor sensory area group(P<0.05). After treatment, the values of Vs, Vd and Vm in the two groups were increased when compared with those before treatment, and the values of Vs, Vd and Vm in the combined acupuncture group were higher than those in the foot motor sensory area group(P<0.05). After treatment,the scores of upper and lower limbs in NIHSS in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment, and the above scores in the combined acupuncture group were lower than those in the foot motor sensory area group(P<0.05). The clinical effect was 97.56% in the combined acupuncture group and 91.12% in the foot motor sensory area group,the difference being significant(P<0.05). Conclusion:The therapy of acupuncture at Shuigou acupoint and Baihui acupoint combined with foot motor sensory area for stroke during convalescence can restore the function of upper and lower limbs of patients, and improve intracranial hemodynamics,with a good clinical effect.