Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Physiotherapy in Post-Stroke Spastic Hand: Comparative Case Series Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Post-stroke hand spasticity significantly impairs upper-limb function and limits conventional physiotherapy effectiveness.
• Acupuncture shows potential as a neuromodulatory tool for motor recovery and pain management post-stroke.
• Limited evidence exists on acupuncture's efficacy in routine clinical settings for post-stroke spasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if adding acupuncture to physiotherapy-based stretching improves functional outcomes in post-stroke hand spasticity.
• To compare the effectiveness of combined acupuncture and physiotherapy versus physiotherapy alone.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 13 adult stroke patients (2022-2023).
• Group A (n=6) received acupuncture plus physiotherapy stretching; Group B (n=7) received physiotherapy stretching alone.
• Acupuncture was administered twice weekly for eight weeks, followed by passive hand stretching. Outcomes assessed via Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE).

Main Results:

• The acupuncture group showed significantly greater improvements in FMA-UE motor function (14.3 vs. 7.6, p<0.05) and hand subscales (2.7 vs. 0.9, p<0.05).
• Significant improvements in joint pain reduction were observed in the acupuncture group (5.0 vs. 0.1, p<0.05).
• Total FMA-UE scores increased significantly more in the intervention group (25.5 vs. 14.3, p<0.05) over eight weeks.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture preceding physiotherapy stretching enhanced upper-limb motor recovery and reduced joint pain in post-stroke spasticity patients.
• Findings suggest acupuncture may facilitate motor relearning and pain reduction, augmenting conventional rehabilitation.
• Further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy and optimize treatment protocols.