The efficacy of acupuncture in spasm after stroke

INTERVENTION: A total of 254 patients in the acute stage of Cerebral apoplexy will be recruited. One half of the patients are from the Acupuncture Department of Beijing Huguosi Chinese Medicine Hospital while the other half are from the Acupuncture Department of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The patients were randomly divided into two different groups. The treatment group receive the Wang Jiajixue remedy, the standard therapy of acupuncture and the basic treatment of western medicine for 4 weeks, the control group receive the sham acupuncture and the standard therapy of the acupuncture and the basic treatment of western medicine for 4 weeks. Both groups were evaluated at the baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 12 weeks. 1. The treatment group 1.1. Wang Jiajixue are selected from Jiaji (EX‐B2). Location: 0.3 cun lateral to the lower border of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th thoracic vertibra, and the 2nd, 4th lumber vertibra. 8 points on each side. Methods: lateral lying position, affected limb upwards. Use the uniform reinforcing‐reducing method with stainless steel needles of 0.32 mm diameter, 40mm length, perpendicular insertion, the filiform needles are left for 30 minutes after the needling sensation, five days a week. The depth of the insertion is 25mm. 1.2. Standard acupuncture treatment: Quchi (LI‐11), Waiguan, Hegu (LI‐4), Zusanli (ST‐36), Yanglingquan (GB‐34), Sanyinjiao (SP‐6) on the affected limb. Use the uniform reinforcing‐reducing method with stainless steel needles of 0.32 mm diameter, 40mm length, perpendicular insertion, the filiform needles are left for 30 minutes after the needling sensation, five days a week. The depth of the insertion is 25mm. 1.3. Received standard care; ICP (Intracranial Pressure) control, blood pressure control, platelet aggregation, trophic nerve, routine physiotherapy and occupational therapy for 4 weeks. 2. The control group: the sham acupuncture 2.1. Location: 0.1 cun lateral to the lower border of the 2nd, 4th, CONDITION: Stroke ; Circulatory System ; Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction PRIMARY OUTCOME: 1. Modified Ashworth Scale for Spasticity (MASS); 2. Fugl‐Meyer (FMA); 3. Motor assessment scale (MAS); Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at week 2, 4 and 12 follow‐up. SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Activities of daily living (ADL); 2. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS); 3. Stroke Speciality‐Quality of Life (SS‐QOL); 4. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS); Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at week 2, 4 and 12 follow‐up, it is likely to adopt the follow up face to face. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Stroke patients were diagnosed according to criteria of cerebral arterial thrombosis in Western medicine and the criteria of apoplexy in Chinese medicine 2. Stroke occurred within 14 days 3. Male or female, aged 40‐75 4. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) grade from 4 to 21 5. The muscle strength of the affected limbs is less than grade 3 6. No disorder of consciousness according to Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 7. Patients suffering their first attack or with a cerebral stroke history but with on serious deformity, modified Rankin SCale (mRS) grade >1 8. Diagnosed by the computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 9. Patients who took part in the trial voluntarily and signed the informed consent form