Stroke Rehabilitation Treatment with Acupuncture
by Xiaolong Alcocer L.Ac.
Stroke or Brain Attack is a disease of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, when a stroke occurs the brain is injured by the lack of oxygen and nutrients. Stroke is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate medical treatment.
Each year, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke. Approximately 610,000 of these are first attacks, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks. It is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. 1.
Warning Signs:
Sudden NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
Sudden TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
If someone shows any of these symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or emergency medical services.
What are the types of stroke?
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stoke, it accounts 87% of strokes. An ischemic stroke occurs when a clot or a mass blocks a blood vessel, cutting off blood flow to a part of the brain.1.
Hemorrhagic Stroke is when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain preventing adequate blood flow.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), also known as mini stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. A mini stroke or TIA is also considered a medical emergency, Call 911.
How to minimize the risks of a stroke?
80 % of strokes are preventable, You can’t control some stroke risk factors, like heredity, age, gender, and ethnicity. Some medical conditions—including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)—can also raise your stroke risk. Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating a balanced diet, and getting exercise are all choices you can make to reduce your risk. 2.
Treatment
The treatment of strokes requires rapid interventions including use of medications for dissolving clots or endovascular mechanical removal of the clot, and use of neuroprotectants and close critical care monitoring.
Patients at risk of stroke or with TIA’s can be treated with medications to thin their blood, reduction of risk factors, and correction of the cause of the clots or vascular occlusion.
Carotid stenosis can be treated with surgery to remove the fatty buildups or with applications of angioplasty and stents.
Intracranial narrowing of the vessels can be treated with angioplasty and stenting or extracranial to intracranial bypass surgery
Inadequate blood supply, due to diseases like moyamoya, is treated with revascularization techniques including bypass surgery and EDAS.3.
Stroke rehabilitation
After initial treatment was provided patients may continue with rehabilitation programs such as:
Rehabilitation Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, Recreational Therapy, Nutritional Care, Counseling, Social Work, Psychiatry/Psychology, Chaplaincy, Patient/Family Education and Support Groups.
Acupuncture Treatment for Stroke Rehabilitation
In conjunction with any rehabilitation program research have shown that acupuncture can be beneficial to restore cognitive functions 4, post stroke neurological impairment and dysfunction such as dysphagia 5, insomnia 6 and depression 7.
Acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation also known as Scalp Acupuncture is a technique developed in the early 70’s by Dr. Jiao Shun-fa, a neurosurgeon from China who combined traditional acupuncture techniques with the knowledge of modern neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the brain.
For the treatment of stroke rehabilitation the acupuncturist is going to needle areas on the scalp that corresponds to the somatotopic system on the scalp, by stimulating these sensory and motor regions, acupuncture can have a direct effect on the nervous system.
Needles are inserted in the scalp on side of the brain where the patient had the stroke which controls the movement and sensation of the opposite side of the body, also needles may be inserted in other areas of the body to help promote blood flow and to stimulate motor neurons to help regain sensation and movement. After all the needles are in place the acupuncturist may stimulate the needles manually or by using an electrical stimulation device that runs electrical current to the needles, also known as electroacupuncture which provides stimulation to the desired areas for greater effectiveness.
During the treatment patients may feel like a slight pinch sensation, numbness, tingling, itching, tiredness, heaviness and/or muscle twitches, all those sensations are completely normal and usually well tolerated.
The needles are left in place for about 30 to 45 minutes. When the needles are removed there might be slight bleeding, especially the scalp due to the normal increased vascularity.
Treatments are given 1-5 times a week depending on the condition of the stroke until desired results are achieved or if no significant results are observed after a few treatments; some patients may also receive maintenance treatments to help with their symptoms.
The most common adverse effects are soreness and bruising, rarely patients may feel lightheaded and usually goes away within a few minutes.
Lt. Col. Dean Hommer, a doctor at Womack Army Medical Center, performs scalp acupuncture on Spc. Daniel Ebensteiner, Warrior Transition Battalion, June 12 to treat the hypersensitivity of a scar on Ebensteiner's left ankle from an airborne injury sufferred in 2008.
photo by Eve Meinhardt/Paraglide 8.
It is important to always consult your Doctor first to see if Acupuncture can be an option for you, and be sure that the Acupuncturist has a valid license to practice in your state.
For License verification in California click here or visit http://www.acupuncture.ca.gov/ for more information about Acupuncture.
www.alcoceracupuncture.com
References
1. Benjamin EJ, Blaha MJ, Chiuve SE, et al; American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2017 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;135:e146–e603. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000485.
4. Liu F, Li ZM, Jiang YJ, Chen LD. A meta-analysis of acupuncture use in the treatment of cognitive impairment after stroke. J Altern Complement Med. 2014;20(7):535-44.
5. Zhang JH, Wang D, Liu M. Overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture for stroke. Neuroepidemiology. 2014;42(1):50-8.
6. Lee SH, Lim SM. Acupuncture for insomnia after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016;16:228.
7. Qian X, Zhou X, You Y, et al. Traditional Chinese Acupuncture for Poststroke Depression: A Single-Blind Double-Simulated Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2015;21(12):748-53.
8. https://www.flickr.com/photos/armymedicine/6026713256
Thanks for sharing information on stroke rehabilitation treatment. Here you can find information on traumatic brain injury treatment guidelines.
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