[Systematic evaluation of acupuncture for treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of acupuncture on post-stroke spastic paralysis.


METHODS
A systematic evaluation including all the relavant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis were carried out according to the method recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration.


RESULTS
Nine hundred and seventy-eight patients being included in fourteen papers met the enrolled criteria. However, their methodological quality was relatively poor. Meta-analysis of nine trials indicated that there was no significant difference between the treatment groups and the control groups in Ashworth scores, Carr-Shepherd scores, nerve defect scores and hip adductor tension scores. Whereas the Fugel-Meyer scores in one trial and the Barthel scores in three trials were better in the treatment groups than those of the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
A reliable conclusion can not be drawn from the present data because of the defects in methodological quality and insufficient numbers of trials, especially lack the long-term terminal outcomes, although it appears a tedency that acupuncture can improve the conditions of post-stroke spastic paralysis. Therefore, it is necessary to perform more multi-central RCTs of high quality in future.
Qi
Ying-zhou
YZ
Tianjin University of TCM, Tianjin, China.
Fu
Li-xin
LX
Xiong
Jun
J
Wang
Zai-ling
ZL
Mou
Jiao
J
Lu
Yin-ming
YM
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome