Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided acupotomy in the treatment of spastic paralysis after stroke: a randomised controlled clinical trial study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided acupotomy in patients with spastic paralysis after stroke. METHODS: A simple random sampling was used to select a total of 66 patients diagnosed with spastic paralysis after stroke in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between June 2022 and June 2023. They were randomly divided into the ultrasound-guided acupotomy group(33 patients) and the traditional acupotomy group (33 patients). The thickness and elasticity of the biceps brachii of the affected limb and healthy limb before and after treatment were measured and compared. RESULTS: In the comparison of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale score, modified Barthel Index (MBI) score, neurological deficit Chinese Stroke Scale score, brachial muscle and the posterior biceps Emean, the ultrasound-guided acupotomy group scored higher than the traditional acupotomy group (p < 0.05), and the overall efficacy of the ultrasound-guided acupotomy group was better than that of the traditional acupotomy group. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided acupotomy can better find the needle point visually and is superior to traditional treatment methods. It has good standardisation, uniformity, operability, safety and repeatability. It may provide a new potential therapy for spastic paralysis after stroke. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300073294).