The evidence-based medicine proved that Stroke Unit (SU) works most effectively on stroke. Since SU is originated and developed in Europe and America, SU therapies are limited to Western medicine. We can make flexible clinical guidelines by combining TCM with the SU and establish SU mode with Chinese characteristics.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of wrist-ankle acupuncture plus continuous exercise therapy for post-stroke shoulder pain.MethodsEighty patients with post-stroke shoulder pain were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 40 cases each. The control group received continuous exercise training with an upper limb multi-joint rehabilitation training instrument and the treatment group, wrist-ankle acupuncture in addition. The affected limb SEP N9 and N13 latency values, shoulder pain severity (the VAS score) and the upper limb motor function score were observed in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.ResultsThe total efficacy rate was 90.0% in the treatment group and 75.0% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in SEP N9-N13 wave interval on the affected side in the two groups (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in SEP N9-N13 wave interval on the affected side between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the VAS score and the Fugl-Meyer score in the two groups (P<0.01). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the VAS score and the Fugl-Meyer score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.01).ConclusionsWrist-ankle acupuncture plus continuous exercise therapy is an effective way to treat post-stroke shoulder pain.