Study on the Orthogonal Optimization of Acupuncture, Tuina and Ultrasonic Treatments for Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction after Cerebral Infarction / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To develop a optimized rehabilitation protocol for acupuncture, Tuina and ultrasonic treatments of upper limb motor dysfunction after cerebral infarction.Methods An orthogonal design with three factors (acupuncture as factor A, Tuina as factor B and ultrasound as factor C) and two levels was used. Eighty cerebral infarction patients with upper limb motor dysfunction were randomly allocated to eight groups, 10 cases each. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score for upper limb motor function were recorded after four weeks of treatment. Results There were no statistically significant pre-treatment differences in the NIHSS score and the FMA score for the upper limb between the groups (P>0.05). For an improvement in NIHSS, factors A and B were both significant (bothP0.05). Factors A, B and C were all significant for an improvement in the FMA score for the upper limb (P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.05). A2B1C1 was the optimal protocol.Conclusions A combination of bilateral acupuncture, Tuina and ultrasound is an optimized protocol for treating upper limb motor dysfunction after cerebral infarction. It can effectively reduce upper limb motor dysfunction.