Efficacy of Skin, Connective Tissue, Aponeurosis Galea, Loose Areolar Tissue, and Pericranium Acupuncture Techniques in Stroke Patients in Improving Muscle Strength of Motion Limbs

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, more than 650,000 stroke survivors needed further therapy and treatment related to mild or severe relief caused by stroke. Defects that cause stroke lesions require more serious and longer handling and will be very burdensome for patients and health insurance. Acupuncture method in the head skin, connective tissue, aponeurosis galea, loose areolar tissue, and pericranium (SCALP) was known to be related to the function of the cerebral cortex known as Zhu’s scalp acupuncture. Stimulation on this point was believed can open blood vessels, and provides better blood flow so it could improve repair in stroke patient.

AIM: This research aimed to prove the effectivity of needle sticking on SCALP to strengthen limb muscle in stroke patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research used a quasi-experimental design, pre-test-post-test without control group. The subjects of this study were stroke patients who were in the recovery phase (after the critical period had passed) and who had an stroke attack <1 year. Sampling method of this study was consecutive sampling, namely, recovery post-stroke patients who were hospitalized or outpatient of all over hospitals in Palembang, Indonesia. In this study, needle pricking was performed in the cerebral motor cortex which is located in the anterior central sulcus. Stimulation is done 10 times for 2 weeks. Assessment of muscle strength in the upper and lower limbs was performed using manual muscle testing measurement before and after therapy. Analysis of muscle strength before and after cerebral cortex stimulation through needle pricking on the SCALP of the head was analyzed by t-test dependent using SPSS 18. Data were displayed in tabular form, with a significance of p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Subjects of this study were eight people consisting of four men (50%) and four female patients (50%) who had passed the critical stroke and were in the recovery phase within a period of recovery <1 year after stroke attack. The number of subjects who experienced improvement in joint motion of each joint was much greater than the frequency of the number of subjects who had no improvement. About 90% of the study subjects felt improvement in joint motion of each joint. The improvement in muscle strength score almost doubled after being treated with SCALP acupuncture better than before treatment.

CONCLUSION: SCALP acupuncture technique was effective in improving muscle strength of motion limbs on stroke patients.