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[Acupuncture at pharyngeal acupoints for true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction: a randomized controlled
1First Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of CM, Harbin 150040, China.
Objective:
To compare the clinical effect of acupuncture at the affected side and both sides of the pharyngeal acupoints for true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction.
Methods:
A total of 66 patients with true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction were randomly divided into an unilateral group and a bilateral group, 33 cases in each group, 1 case dropped off in each group at last. On the basis of conventional drugs and electro-nape-acupuncture treatment, the patients in the unilateral group were treated with acupuncture at the affected side's Tunyan, Fayin and Zhifanliu (Extra), while patients in the bilateral group were treated with acupuncture at the both sides' Tunyan, Fayin and Zhifanliu. The treatment was performed once a day, 6 days a week, and the clinical effect was assessed after 21-day therapy. The swallowing and vocalization of the two groups were evaluated by dysphagia grading scale, Kubota water swallowing test and GRBAS grading scale before and after treatment.
Results:
After 21 days of treatment, the scores of the dysphagia grading scale in the two groups were both improved (P<0.01), and the unilateral group was superior to the bilateral group (P<0.01). The GRBAS grading scale and Kubota water swallowing test grading after treatment were improved in both groups (P<0.01), and the unilateral group was superior to the bilateral group (P<0.05, P<0.01).
Conclusion:
Acupuncture at the pharyngeal acupoints of the affected side achieves much better therapeutic effect on true bulbar paralysis as compared with the acupoints of the bilateral sides.
