A clinical study to assess the influence of acupuncture at Wang’s Jiaji acupoints on limb spasticity in patients in convalescent stage of ischemic stroke: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

摘要

BackgroundStroke is characterized by high morbidity, high mortality, and high disability. Spasticity, one of the most common complications after stroke, may reduce the potential success of rehabilitation and has a detrimental effect on stroke patients’ daily function and quality of life. Moreover, the long-term management of spasticity is a financial burden to patients and increases societal costs. The current treatments, mainly including physical therapy, oral drugs, drug injection therapy, and surgical interventions, have been used to reduce spasticity. However, every conventional approach has its limitations. Acupuncture at the “Wang’s Jiaji” acupoints, based on the experience of the famous old doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Le Ting Wang in treating post-stroke limb spasm, has been widely practiced in our department. This intervention has effectively avoided the controversy around acupuncture at local acupoints on the limbs, and is easy to apply without side effects. Our previous studies had found that acupuncture at the “Wang’s Jiaji-points” can reduce the occurrence and severity of spasticity occurring after stroke in the early stage (the first 21 days). In this study, we chose patients in the convalescent stage, 1–6 months after stroke, so as to study the efficacy and the specific intervention time of “Wang’s jiaji” in the convalescent stage after stroke.