OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy on poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome were randomly divided into an acupuncture-rehabilitation group, an acupuncture group and a rehabilitation group, 40 cases in each group. The acupuncture-rehabilitation group were treated with acupuncture at Jianyu (LI 15), Jianqian, Jianliao (TE 14), etc. in combination with motor therapy (rehabilitation training), the acupuncture group with simple acupuncture therapy, and the rehabilitation group with simple motor therapy. Upper extremity motor function, pain, joint activity were used for assessment of therapeutic effects.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 87.5% in the acupuncture-rehabilitation group was significantly better than 67.5% in the acupuncture group and 65.0% in the rehabilitation group (P<0.01); acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy could significantly improve upper limb motor function, pain and joint activity with very significant differences as compared with the acupuncture group and the rehabilitation group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy has a high cured rate and an obvious therapeutic effect on poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome.