Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
-
Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Does acupuncture improve motor recovery after stroke? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Acupuncture may be a promising treatment for poststroke paralysis. We conducted a meta-analysis, assessing the efficacy of acupuncture with and without stroke rehabilitation. ⋯ This meta-analysis suggests that with stroke rehabilitation, acupuncture has no additional effect on motor recovery but has a small positive effect on disability, which may be due to a true placebo effect and varied study quality. The efficacy of acupuncture without stroke rehabilitation remains uncertain, mainly because of the poor quality of such studies.