A new study has discovered that a 6-week acupuncture treatment led to significant improvements in language function, quality of life, and neurological impairment among individuals experiencing speech difficulties following a stroke. With continued improvement over a span of 6 months, acupuncture may be considered a safe and effective adjunct therapy to help stroke patients regain their voice, according to New Atlas, citing JAMA Network Open.
During the acute phase following a stroke, about one-third of survivors experience post-stroke aphasia, which is the inability to speak or organize the muscular movements for speech, with 61% remaining affected after one year. Speech disorders and the ability to communicate negatively impact quality of life. In China, acupuncture is regularly recommended as a complementary and alternative treatment for post-stroke aphasia.
The new study, conducted by researchers at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, examined the effects of acupuncture on language function, quality of life, and neurological impairment in patients suffering from dysarthria after a stroke. The preliminary results indicated that manual acupuncture led to significant and sustained improvements in language function, quality of life, and neurological impairment, as observed during follow-up six months after the onset of speech loss.
Three adverse reactions related to treatment occurred in the manual acupuncture group, but they were transient and not severe. To the knowledge of the researchers, their study is the first randomized controlled trial with long-term follow-up assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with dysarthria post-stroke. Considering the reasons for acupuncture's effects on improving language impairment, they concluded that a treatment consisting of 30 sessions provided a "sufficient dose of acupuncture" and attributed its impact to strictly adhering to the standard treatment protocol.
The researchers stated, "The results of the study confirmed that post-stroke dysarthria was the predominant condition affected by acupuncture treatment, suggesting that acupuncture can serve as an adjunct therapy for patients with post-stroke dysarthria." They added, "The clinical effects and safety outcomes provide evidence for policymakers, physicians, and patients regarding the management of speech loss after stroke using acupuncture."
