Effect of Specific Acupuncture Therapy Combined with Rehabilitation Training on Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Feng Xiong; Jingkang Lu; Hongxia Pan; Fengyi Wang; Yaqin Huang; Yiwei Liu; Lingxin Li; Rengang Zhang; Yulong Wang; Chengqi He; Wei Quan

doi:10.1155/2021/5671998

Effect of Specific Acupuncture Therapy Combined with Rehabilitation Training on Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 26:2021:5671998. doi: 10.1155/2021/5671998. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Feng Xiong^{1

2

3}, Jingkang Lu^{1

2}, Hongxia Pan^{1

2}, Fengyi Wang^{1

2}, Yaqin Huang^{1

2}, Yiwei Liu^{1

2}, Lingxin Li^{1

2}, Rengang Zhang^{1

2}, Yulong Wang³, Chengqi He^{1

2}, Wei Quan^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
² Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Acupuncture therapies were used to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) and its complications. To assess the effect of a specific acupuncture therapy combined with rehabilitation training for inpatients with incomplete SCI, we conducted an assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Seventy-two participants diagnosed with incomplete SCI were randomly assigned into 3 groups of 24 patients each, with data collection completed in December, 2019. Participants were randomly assigned (1 : 1 : 1) to 3 groups to receive treatment for 4 weeks, 5 times/week of acupuncture for Continuous Acupuncture Treatment (CAT) group, 3 times/week for Intermittent Acupuncture Treatment (IAT) group, and no acupuncture for Control group; all 3 groups received routine rehabilitation training. The primary outcome was the change of American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes included sensory score, Modified Barthel Index (MBI). At week 4, CAT group had a higher motor score and MBI score increase than the control group (mean difference 10.52, 17.36; p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). CAT group had more increase in motor score and MBI than IAT group (mean difference 5.55, 14.77; p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively). But the difference among groups in the increase of sensory score was not statistically significant. Acupuncture resulted in a higher motor score and MBI after 4 weeks. And the dosage of 5/week led to more improvement in motor score and MBI than that of 3/week. The results suggested that a dosage of 5/week of acupuncture is safe and more effective for SCI than 3/week. But further research is needed to determine the best intervention dosage, long-term efficacy, and underlying mechanism. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1900021530.