Study of the Effects of <i>Sa-am</i> Acupuncture on Upper Limb Spasticity in Patients with
Chronic Post-stroke Hemiparesis using Real-time Sonoelastography

Baek, Kyung-min; Kwon, Dong-rak; Park, Gi-young

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 35(1); 2014 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2014;35(1): 1-11.

실시간 탄성초음파를 이용한 만성 뇌졸중 후 편마비 환자의 상지 강직에 대한 사암침 효과 연구

백경민¹, 권동락², 박기영²

¹대구한의대학교 한의과대학 심계내과학교실
²대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 재활의학과교실

Study of the Effects of Sa-am Acupuncture on Upper Limb Spasticity in Patients with Chronic Post-stroke Hemiparesis using Real-time Sonoelastography

Kyung-min Baek¹, Dong-rak Kwon², Gi-young Park²

¹Dept. of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Diseases, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University
²Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu

Correspondence

Gi-young Park ,Tel: 053-650-4492, Fax: 053-654-3881, Email: parkgy@cu.ac.kr

Published online: March 30, 2014.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
To investigate the effects of Sa-am acupuncture on muscle architecture and elastic properties of the spastic elbow flexor and to evaluate the correlation between clinical findings and parameters of real-time sonoelastography (RTS) in patients with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.

Materials and Methods :
Seven patients (five males, two females) with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis were included. Sa-am acupuncture of Ganseunggyeok (肝勝格: LU8 LR4 補, HT8 LR2 瀉) was applied to the unaffected side 3 times a week for 4 weeks. During each acupuncture treatment period, patients were requested to exercise their affected arm, and spasticity and functional recovery outcomes of the affected arm were evaluated before and after Sa-am acupuncture treatment. Clinical outcomes were assessed using motricity index (MI), modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (FMA) and modified Barthel index (MBI) for elbow flexor spasticity. RTS images indicate the relative hardness of the examined muscles ranged from red (hard) to purple (soft) for color-scale, and from black (hard) to white (soft) for hue scale. Color and hue histograms of the biceps brachii and brachialis were analyzed using Image J software, and median red, blue, and hue pixel intensity were obtained.

Results:
MI and FMA score significantly increased and MAS score significantly decreased (p<0.05). F-wave maximal amplitude of affected abductor pollicis brevis significantly decreased (p<0.05). Muscle thickness of affected brachialis significantly increased (p<0.05). Red and green pixel intensity of affected brachialis significantly decreased (p<0.05).

Conclusions:
Our study revealed that Sa-am acupuncture is effective as a useful and safe treatment for spasticity in chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.

Key words: stroke, spasticity, Sa-am acupuncture, Ganseunggyeok, Sonoelastography