Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Lower Limb Dysfunction: Clinical Efficacy and Neurophysiological Mechanisms.

Purpose: Lower limb dysfunction is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke, significantly compromising patients' quality of life. This mini-review synthesizes clinical research on acupuncture for post-stroke lower limb dysfunction over the past five years, integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories and modern evidence. Methods: The review analyzed clinical studies and TCM theoretical perspectives. TCM attributes stroke pathogenesis to Yin-Yang disharmony, Qi-blood imbalance, and complex interactions of wind, phlegm, fire, stasis, and toxin. Results: Acupuncture therapies, including body acupuncture, electroacupuncture, abdominal acupuncture, scalp-body acupuncture, specific acupoint stimulation, moxibustion, and combined techniques, demonstrate significant efficacy in improving motor coordination, reducing muscle tone, and enhancing voluntary movement. Mechanistically, acupuncture regulates cerebral blood flow, reduces ischemic-reperfusion injury, modulates neuroinflammation, and promotes neural regeneration. Clinical studies show that these approaches effectively alleviate symptoms, with total effective rates ranging from 70% to 95.5%. Conclusion: Acupuncture shows considerable potential for post-stroke lower limb dysfunction, likely exerting effects through modulation of cerebral blood flow, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neural plasticity. However, challenges remain, including the lack of standardized acupoint selection protocols, stimulation parameters, large multicenter trials, and in-depth mechanistic research.