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Stroke

Overview

A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is abruptly interrupted, either due to ischemia (a blockage) or hemorrhage (a ruptured blood vessel), leading to the leakage of blood into or around the brain. This sudden disruption in blood supply can result in the death of brain cells, which may manifest as numbness or tingling on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking or seeing, dizziness, headaches, and various other symptoms.

Diagnostic Patterns

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the treatment of stroke focuses on identifying the appropriate diagnostic pattern unique to the individual rather than just addressing the general condition. This individualised approach emphasizes treating the root cause rather than merely alleviating symptoms.

Research indicates that acupuncture, when combined with rehabilitation, is more effective than rehabilitation alone for managing acute and subacute stroke sequelae, according to a systematic review by Vados (2015), which included 17 randomized controlled trials. Additionally, in cases of acute ischemic stroke, electroacupuncture (EA) has been found to be superior to usual care in several outcome measures, including the Barthel Index, Fugl-Meyer Assessment, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and Revised Scandinavian Stroke Scale presented in a meta-analysis by Liu (2015) of 18 randomized controlled trials.