Trial reportNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2025
Effect of ultrasound-guided acupotomy combined with acupuncture on limb dysfunction in patients with cerebral stroke.
Trial report in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of transcranial electrical stimulation combined with dual-task training in stroke, mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- Acupotomy for Cervical Spondylosis-Related Neck Pain: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Ultrasound-guided acupotomy in stroke limb rehabilitation: efficacy insights and unaddressed methodological concerns.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to determine the repeatable effect of acupotomy on specific acupoints of paralyzed limbs in stroke patients with hemiplegia, using musculoskeletal ultrasound combined with acupuncture.
methods102 patients with limb motor dysfunction post-cerebral stroke were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group (T group) received ultrasound-guided acupotomy plus a basic treatment regimen (51 patients) and the control (C) group underwent the basic treatment regimen (51 patients) over 4 weeks, with a 6-month follow-up period. The T group was treated with ultrasound-guided acupotomy on the first day. Both groups received the same basic treatment. The primary outcome, the improvement in limb function, was evaluated using the Shangtianmin Hemiplegia Function Rating Scale score from baseline to 6 months. The secondary outcome measures included the neurological deficit scale, activities of daily living scale, modified Ashworth scale, and safety evaluation.
resultsThe mean total Shangtianmin Hemiplegia Function rating scale score improved (p < 0.001) after the first ultrasound-guided acupotomy treatment compared with baseline. After 6 months, the mean score of the upper limb in the T group was 8.86 ± 2.86, and in the C group, it was 6.08 ± 3.99 (difference, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-4.15, p < 0.001). The mean score of the lower limb was 10.35 ± 1.80 in the T group and 6.86 ± 3.04 in the C group (difference, 3.49; 95% confidence interval, 2.51-4.47, p < 0.001).
conclusionsThe function of the hemiplegic limb is significantly improved under ultrasound-guided acupotomy treatment combined with acupuncture.
trial registrationChinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR1900028395, Registered 20 December 2019. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=47018 . Approved no. of the ethics committee: 2019NL-169-02.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.