EFFICACY OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT ON DYSPHAGIA STAGING AFTER ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE

Introduction: This study aimed to compare staging acupuncture with ordinary acupuncture for treating dysphagia after acute ischemic stroke, and explore its clinical efficacy. Materials and methods: A total of 120 patients with dysphagia after acute ischemic stroke were included into this study. These patients were randomly divided into two groups: acupuncture treatment group and conventional treatment group. Patients in these two groups were treated with staging acupuncture and conventional acupuncture, respectively. At the fourth week and the third month, the Watian drinking water test scale and the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) was applied to evaluate for efficacy. Results: Cure rate in the four-week staging acupuncture treatment group was 20%, and the effective rate was 65%. In the three-month stage acupuncture treatment group, cure rate was 33.33% and the effective rate was 95%. This was significantly higher than in the conventional treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: The stage acupuncture treatment of dysphagia after ischemic stroke is an effective, simple and safe method that can be recommended for clinical use.