Mirror therapy combined with acupuncture can improve the upper extremity function of stroke survivors

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of mirror therapy combined with Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture on the upper extremity function of stroke survivors. Methods Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into a mirror group (n=20), an acupuncture group (n=20) and a combined group (n=20). In addition to routine rehabilitation treatment, those in each group received mirror therapy, acupuncture or both for 4 weeks. Before the treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, all of the patients were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer motor function assessment (FMA), Brunnstrom upper limb and hand staging (BSULH), the Barthel Index (BI) and in terms of the active range of motion in the wrist contralateral to their hemiplegia (AROM). The combined group was also evaluated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before treatment and after the 4 weeks. Results After 2 and 4 weeks of the treatment, the average BI, AROM, FMA and BSULH results had improved significantly compared with before the treatment. The improvements in the combined group were significantly greater than in the other groups after 2 and 4 weeks. The fMRI demonstrated that there were high-intensity signals in the primary motor area, the premotor area and the supplementary motor area on the affected side after 4 weeks of treatment. Conclusions Mirror therapy combined with Tungdu Xingshen acupuncture can improve the functional performance of the upper extremities of stroke survivors. Key words: Mirror therapy; Acupuncture; Stroke; Upper extremities