Acupuncture is A Powerful Choice for Stroke Patients
Ischemic stroke is the second most common cause of death and
the primary cause of disability throughout the world. Acupuncture is frequently
advocated as an adjunct treatment during stroke rehabilitation. The aim of this
study was to update the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture for
cerebral infarction. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) on acupuncture treating
cerebral infarction were searched from the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE,
Cochrane Library, CNKI, CMB and VIP from inception to October 2013. The data of
RCTs meeting the inclusive criteria were extracted according to Cochrane
methods. The meta-analyses were conducted using Rev Man 5.0 software. A total
of 25 trials involving 2224 patients were included. The results of this
meta-analysis showed that the groups receiving acupuncture (observation group)
were superior to the comparison groups (control group), with significant
differences in the Clinical Efficacy Rates [OR = 4.04, 95%CI (2.93, 5.57),
P<0.001], Fugl-Meyer Assessment [MD = 11.22, 95%CI (7.62, 14.82),
P<0.001], Barthel Index Score [MD = 12.84, 95%CI (9.85, 15.82), P<0.001],
and Neurological Deficit Score [MD = -2.71, 95% CI (-3.84, -1.94), P<0.001].
Three trials reported minor adverse events. Current evidence provisionally
demonstrates that acupuncture treatment is superior to either non-acupuncture
or conventional therapy for cerebral infarction. Despite this conclusion, given
the often low quality of the available trials, further large scale RCTs of
better quality are still needed.
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