Apart from acupuncture and herbal treatment, other techniques can be helpful.
Electrical Acupuncture
Electrical stimulation may be used on the limbs to treat hemiplegia. A dense-sparse current is
used with low frequency connecting two points on the same limb. The intensity of the current is
gradually increased each time the patient's sensation diminishes. If electrical stimulation is used,
fewer points need be selected. For example:
- Arm: L.I.-10 Shousanli and L.I.-4 Hegu.
- Leg: G.B.-30 Huantiao and G.B.-34 Yanglingquan.
The electrical stimulation should be maintained for 20 minutes, every other day. The longer the
duration, the stronger the intensity of the current should be.
Scalp Acupuncture
A complete discussion of scalp acupuncture is beyond the scope of this text and the reader is
referred to specialized textbooks.2(521) Scalp acupuncture gives good results if given within one
month of the stroke. No body points are used when scalp acupuncture is used and this may be
alternated with normal body acupuncture.
Scalp acupuncture consists of needling lines rather than points on the skull according to the
brain's anatomy. In the case of hemiplegia one would needle the motor line, its upper 1/5 for the
leg, middle 2/5 for the arm and lower 2/5 for the face (Figure 27.4(522)). See also (Figure
26.1(523)).
This line is needled subcutaneously with one needle to cover the whole section of the line
required (according to whether one is treating the arm or the leg). If inserting one needle
subcutaneously for its whole length proves difficult, one can use up to three needles each for a
shorter distance so that the whole section of that line is covered. The needle (or needles) is
retained for 20 minutes and mild electrical stimulation at low frequency may also be applied.
Point-Injection Therapy
This consists in injecting certain solutions into acupuncture points. In the case of hemiplegia the
solutions used are those of Angelica sinensis, Carthamus tinctorius, Vitamin B-6 or Vitamin
B-12. The points used are:
- L.I.-4 Hegu, L.I.-11 Quchi and L.I.-15 Jianyu for the arm.