RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of tapping at acupoints along meridian combined with thunder-fire moxibustion on upper-limb muscle strength and activities of daily living in patients with upper-limb hemiplegia after stroke. METHODS: A total of 140 patients with upper-limb hemiplegia after stroke were randomly divided into a combination group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off), an acupoint-tapping group (35 cases), a moxibustion group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a routine group (35 cases). The patients in the routine group were only treated with routine treatment and nursing. On the basis of the treatment in the routine group, the patients in the acupoint-tapping group were treated with tapping along the large intestine meridian of hand yangming, with Hegu (LI 4), Shousanli (LI 10), Quchi (LI 11), Shouwuli (LI 13) and Jianyu (LI 15) as the key acupoints, once a day, 10 min each time; the patients in the moxibustion group were treated with thunder-fire moxibustion at the affected-side Shousanli (LI 10), Quchi (LI 11) and their surrounding area, once a day, 15 min each time. The patients in the combination group were treated with tapping at acupoints along meridian, followed by thunder-fire moxibustion. The treatment was 6 days a week for 4 weeks in the 4 groups. The body mass index of joint activity (shoulder abduction, elbow extension, wrist flexion) and Barthel index (BI) score were observed before and after treatment in the four groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, body mass indexs of shoulder abduction, elbow extension, wrist flexion as well as BI scores in the four groups were significantly increased after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the body mass indexs of joint activity in the combination group were higher than those in the other three groups (P<0.05). The BI scores in the acupoint-tapping group, the moxibustion group and the combination group were higher than those in the routine group (P<0.05). The BI score in the combination group was higher than the acupoint-tapping group and the moxibustion group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Tapping at acupoints along meridian combined with thunder-fire moxibustion could effectively improve the upper-limb muscle strength and activities of daily living in patients with upper-limb hemiplegia after stroke, and its effect is superior to simple tapping at acupoints along meridian or thunder-fire moxibustion.