Alternative therapies in health and medicine
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Altern Ther Health Med · May 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAn effectiveness study comparing acupuncture, physiotherapy, and their combination in poststroke rehabilitation: a multicentered, randomized, controlled clinical trial.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, being the third leading cause of death in the United States and the second and third most common causes of death in Chinese cities and rural areas, respectively. Evaluation of different rehabilitative modalities appears necessary to optimize treatment. ⋯ Acupuncture plus conventional care was similar in effectiveness to physiotherapy treatment plus conventional care for poststroke rehabilitation. The study found no synergistic effects for the combination of acupuncture and physiotherapy in addition to conventional care; that combination of treatments was no more effective than either treatment by itself. The effectiveness and lack of adverse events associated with acupuncture in this study suggest that it may represent an additional treatment option for stroke patients.