[Scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training for balance dysfunction in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To explore the effect of scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training on balance ability and motor function in stroke patients with balance dysfunction.

Methods: A total of 105 stroke patients with balance dysfunction were randomly divided into a combined group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a scalp acupuncture group (35 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a suspension training group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture at bilateral suboccipital lateral line, parietal midline, upper 1/5 line of anterior oblique line of parietal and temporal and line 1 of the parietal lateral line on the opposite side of hemiplegia. The suspension training group was treated with suspension training. The combined group was treated with suspension training at the same time of scalp acupuncture. All the treatment was given once a day, 30 min each time, 5 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score, balance tester and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score were used to evaluate the motor function and balance ability before treatment, 3 and 6 weeks into treatment. The clinical efficacy was evaluated in the 3 groups.

Results: The scores of BBS and FMA in each group at 3 and 6 weeks into treatment were higher than those before treatment (<0.05); the scores of BBS and FMA in the combined group were higher than those in the scalp acupuncture group and the suspension training group (<0.05). At 3 and 6 weeks into treatment, the length and area of centroid locus of balance tester in each group were lower than those before treatment (<0.05); the length and area of centroid locus of balance tester in the combined group were lower than those in the scalp acupuncture group and the suspension training group (<0.05). The total effective rate of the combined group was 97.0% (32/33), which was higher than 87.5% (28/32) in the scalp acupuncture group and 90.9% (30/33) in the suspension training group (<0.05).

Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training could improve the balance ability and motor function in stroke patients with balance dysfunction, and the curative effect is better than simple scalp acupuncture and simple suspension training.