Clinical observations on acupuncture treatment of peripheral facial paralysis aided by infra-red thermography--a preliminary report

Zhang, D.

Wei, Z.

Wen, B.

Gao, H.

Peng, Y.

Wang, F.

Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan / sponsored by All-China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine

1991

11(2)

139-145

RCT

CAM Control

Acu Versus CAM Control

Acu Versus Acu

Acupuncture

Nervous System Diseases

Paralysis

Peripheral Facial Paralysis

RCT

Restricted Modalities, Acupuncture Only

Semi-Individualized Acupuncture Protocol

Symptom Based Point Selection

TCM Acupuncture Style

We have carried out clinical observations on 34 patients with peripheral facial paralysis treated by acupuncture therapy prescribed according to selection of treatment regimen on the basis of facial thermogram and temperature. A comparison was made with a control group of 97 patients who received conventional acupuncture therapy only. It was found that 1) The cure rate in the group of selecting acupoints by thermogram (hereinafter referred to as the thermography--aided treatment group) was 67.65%, with a marked improvement rate of 26.40%; while the cure rate of the conventional acupuncture treatment group (hereinafter called the conventional treatment group) was 46.39%, the marked improvement rate being 29.90%, indicating a significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups (P less than 0.02). 2) The average duration of acupuncture therapy for the thermography aided treatment group was 6.02 weeks, whereas that for the conventional treatment group, 24 weeks. There was also a significant difference between the two groups (P less than 0.01). And 3) During the entire therapeutic course, 25.2 sessions of treatment were given on the average in the thermography--aided treatment group, and 78.8 sessions in the conventional treatment group, showing a very significant difference (P less than 0.001). The present thermography--aided method exhibits advantages over the conventional one in enhancing the cure rate and shortening the duration of treatment, which is worthy to be popularized in clinical practice. And it is also of certain significance in standardization and scientification of acupuncture therapy

Nervous System Diseases

>1/WK

131

6 Weeks