Clinical observation of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke depression

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke depression. METHODS: Forty patients with post-stroke depression were randomly divided into a treatment group (20 cases) and a control group (20 cases). The treatment group received acupuncture at Baihui, Shenting, Yintang, Shenmen, Neiguan, Gongsun and Sanyinjiao, and the control group took oral Prozac (fluoxetine). Patients in both groups were assessed with the HAMD depression scale before and after treatment. RESULTS: The HAMD scores before and after treatment differed significantly in both groups (P<0.01), and the treatment effect differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The Tiaoshen Jieyu acupuncture method is an effective treatment for depression and deserves further promotion and application in clinical practice.