Acupuncture for Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract

Graeme J. Hankey MD, FRCP Section Editor Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Western society; in China it is the second most common cause of death in cities and the third in rural areas. It is also a main cause of adult disability and dependency. Despite considerable research efforts on multiple treatment modalities, there is still no single rehabilitation intervention demonstrated unequivocally to aid stroke recovery. This reality drives people to search for other modalities of treatment in an attempt to further improve the outcome of stroke rehabilitation, such as acupuncture. Acupuncture can cause multiple biological responses, including circulatory and biochemical effects. These responses can occur locally or close to the site of application, or at a distance. They are mediated mainly by sensory neurons …