Paralysis After Traumatic Brain Injury: Can Acupuncture Help?
Can acupuncture help patients with limb paralysis caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI)? A new study suggests it has promising potential. Published in the Chinese journal of Acupuncture Research, the study included 70 TBI patients divided into a medication group and an acupuncture plus medication group. The goal of the study: “to observe the clinical effect of early acupuncture treatment of limb paralysis in patients with traumatic brain injury.” The therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus medication was obviously superior to that of simple medication in lowering focal injured volume on day 14 and 28, and in increasing FMA and ADL-BI scores on day 28 and 60. … The therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus medication was [also] evidently superior to that of simple medication in lowering IL-6 on day 3 and 7, and in increasing BDNF and NGF levels on day 3, 7 and 14. The researchers concluded: “Early acupuncture treatment can significantly improve the TBI patient’s limb motor function and daily life activities, which may be related [to] its effects in reducing the inflammation and increasing BDNF and NGF levels.”
Acupuncture Today
October, 2019, Vol. 20, Issue 10
https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article_d.php?id=33750&nr=t