title: Using acupoint-to-acupoint penetrative needling to treat post-stroke spastic paralysis: a clinical progress review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the characteristics and advantages of acupoint-to-acupoint penetrative needling (AAPN) treatment for post-stroke spastic paralysis (PSSP) to improve the clinical outcomes of this disease in the future.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled trials of PSSP patients receiving AAPN treatment were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database between January 2006 and June 2013. Key words included: clinic or clinical, acupuncture, needling, acupoint-to-acupoint, penetrative or penetration or penetrating, stroke or apoplexy or cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, spastic paralysis or spasticity or palsy, and hypermyotonia. Language was limited to English and Chinese. Case series reports, review articles, and, animal studies were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AAPN showed better clinical results on PSSP than other acupuncture treatments, especially when combined with adjunct therapies such as electroacupuncture, bloodletting, and rehabilitation. The greatest benefit was achieved with rehabilitation combined with penetration from Yang-channel acupoints to Yin-channel acupoints in the upper limbs, and from Yin-channel acupoints to Yang-channel acupoints in the lower limbs with a reinforcing maneuver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AAPN is an effective treatment for PSSP, and it can accelerate and enhance functional repair of PSSP patients.
authors.forename: Xiafei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Guirong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D010243:Paralysis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*