CEREBRAL APOPLEXY TREATED WITH ACUPUNCTURE

Bi Fugao, Chen Dianfu, Wang Hong

(Henan Institute of TCM, Zhengzhoii)

Patients of cerebrovascular accidents (cerebral hemorrhage, cerabral thrombosis and cerebral infarction) usually suffer from hemiplegia after pulling through the acute stage. We accepted and treated 133 cases of sequelae of cerebral apoplexy with acupuncture and achieved quite good results.

Principles for acupuncture treatment: 1. Widely selecting points. On an average, 20 needles were used at each treatment session. 2. Laying stress on warming-invigorating technique. The needles were pricked gently into the points of face and swiftly into the points of limbs according to warming invigorating technique, all without retention. 3. The effect was determined after three courses of treatment.

Methods. Mainly, the points of body were used. The Chinese materia medica was taken if necessary. Scalp acupuncture was also administered in some cases. Points were selected as follows. On the upper limbs: Jianyu, Jianliao, Quchi, Quze, Wuli, Hegu, Ximen, Baxie. On the lower limbs: Huanzhongshang, Huantiao, Liangqiu, Xuehai, Yanglmgquan, Yin-lingquan, Sanyinjiao, Jiexi, Shangqiu, and Bafeng. On the face: Ymtang, Zanzhu, Taiyang, Xiaguan, )iache, Renzhong, Yingxiang, Dicang and Chengjiang. If aphasia was present, points Yamen, Shangliaquan and fuquan were used. In scalp acupuncture, movement area, sensation area and the second language area were selected. Acupuncture was administered once daily, one month for each course.

The treatment was markedly effective for 60 patients (45.8%) with hemiplegia eliminated and ability to work, while effective in 62 patients (47.3%) who did not completely recover from the function of the paralyzed limbs but resumed the ability to take care of themselves with an overall effective rate of 93.1%. It was not effective for 9 patients and 2 failed to continue the treatment.

The clinical analysis of the cases in this group leads us to preliminarily conclude that, by the three principles described above, acupuncture can be used in all patients with sequelae of cerebral apoplexy regardless of the patient's condition, kind of the disease and age.