Abstract: Objective To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with vibroacoustic therapy on upper limb spasticity post stroke. Methods From November, 2014 to November, 2015, 90 patients with upper limb spasticity post stroke were randomized into treatment group (acupuncture combined with vibroacoustic therapy), control 1 group (simple vibroacoustic therapy) and control 2 group (simple acupuncture) with 30 cases in each group. All the patients accepted routine fundamental treatment and rehabilitation training. The modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) were used to assess the upper limb muscle tension, motor function and activities of daily living before and four weeks after treatment. Results After treatment, MAS score decreased in all groups (Z>3.067, P<0.001), and FMA score and MBI score increased (t>3.326, P<0.01). MAS score decreased more (Z>2.919, P<0.01), and FMA score and MBI score increased more (P<0.05) in the treatment group than in the control groups after treatment. However, there was no significant difference between the control groups (P>0.05). The total effective rate was 80% in the treatment group, 50% in the control group 1 and 53% in the control group 2 (χ2=8.573, P=0.014), respectively. Conclusion Acupuncture combined with vibroacoustic therapy can alleviate the upper limb spasticity, and promote the recovery of motor function and activities of daily living.

Key words: stroke, upper limb spasticity, acupuncture, vibroacoustic therapy