[Clinical efficacy of antagonistic needling therapy on post-stroke lower limb spasticity and its effect on muscle morphology].

Objective: To observe the effects of antagonistic needling therapy on lower limb spasticity and the muscle morphology of the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius in patients with stroke.

Methods: A total of 100 patients with post-stroke lower limb spasticity were randomly divided into an antagonistic needling group (50 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a routine acupuncture group (50 cases, 1 case dropped out). Both groups received basic treatment and rehabilitation training. The routine acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture at anterior oblique line of vertex-temporal and vertex lateral line 1, combined with body acupuncture at Jianyu (LI15), Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36), Taichong (LR3), etc. on the affected side, with Quchi (LI11) and Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36) and Fenglong (ST40), Yanglingquan (GB34) and Taichong (LR3) connected to an electroacupuncture device, using disperse wave at 2 Hz of frequency. The antagonistic needling group used the same scalp and upper limb acupoints as the routine acupuncture group, with additional antagonistic needling on the lower limb at Yanglingquan (GB34), Qiuxu (GB40), Jiexi (ST41), and Xuanzhong (GB39) on the affected side, with Quchi (LI11) and Hegu (LI4), Yanglingquan (GB34) and Qiuxu (GB40), Jiexi (ST41), and Xuanzhong (GB39) connected to an electroacupuncture device, using disperse wave at 2 Hz of frequency. Both groups received treatment once daily for 6 consecutive days per course, with a total of 4 courses. The modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Holden functional ambulation classification (FAC), lower limb Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), composite spasticity scale (CSS), and musculoskeletal ultrasound parameters (thickness and fiber length of the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius, and pennation angle of the gastrocnemius on both sides) were evaluated before and after treatment. Clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

Results: Compared before treatment, the MAS grades and CSS scores were decreased in both groups after treatment (<0.01), with greater reductions in the antagonistic needling group (<0.05, <0.01). FAC grades and FMA scores were increased in both groups after treatment (<0.01, <0.05), with greater improvements in the antagonistic needling group (<0.05). The muscle thickness, fiber length of the tibialis anterior, the muscle thickness, fiber length and pennation angle of the gastrocnemius on the affected side were improved in both groups after treatment (<0.01), with greater improvements in the antagonistic needling group (<0.01, <0.05). On the unaffected side, these parameters were also increased after treatment in both groups (<0.01, <0.05), but the antagonistic needling group showed smaller increases than the routine acupuncture group (<0.01, <0.05). The total effective rate in the antagonistic needling group was 91.8% (45/49), higher than 81.6% (40/49) in the routine acupuncture group (<0.05).

Conclusion: Antagonistic needling could effectively reduce spasticity, improve motor function, and enhance muscle structure in patients with post-stroke lower limb spasticity.