[Blood-letting puncture at 12 Jing-well points of the hand combined with fuming and washing with Chinese herb lotion for treatment of edema of the affected limb in patients of hemiplegia after stroke].

Objective: To search for a therapy for edema of the affected limb in patients of hemiplegia after stroke.

Methods: Eighty patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated by blood-letting puncture at 12 Jing-well points of the hand combined with fuming and washing with herbal lotion, and the control group were treated by oral administration of diuretic. The therapeutic effect was observed after treatment for 10 days.

Results: The total effective rate was 85.0% in the treatment group and 70.0% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The cumulative score of symptoms of edema, improvement of skin pitting, damp and cool sensation, the function of limbs and the total score in the treatment group were better than the control group (P < 0.05); the cumulative score of TCM syndrome after treatment, improvement of the symptoms of limb flaccid paralysis, shortness of breath, weakness, dark-pale tongue proper and the total cumulative score were better than the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Blood-letting puncture at 12 Jing-well points of the hand combined with fuming and washing with Chinese herbal lotion is effective for edema of the affected limb in patients of hemiplegia after stroke.