Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003 Sep; 84(9): E26.

First-year acupuncture treatment experience of a physiatrist. Gouri Chaudhuri, MD (Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, Wheaton, IL), e-mail: sbrady@marianjoy.org.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for pain and spasticity due to musculosketal and neurologic conditions. Design: Retrospective chart reviews. Setting: Free-standing rehabilitation hospital. Participants: 27 consecutive inpatients over a 12-month period who were treated with acupuncture for pain, spasticity, and weakness. 16 patients had painful conditions due to musculosketal and neurologic conditions, 7 patients had spasticity due to stroke, and 4 patients had weakness due to stroke. Intervention: Acupuncture treatment by a physiatrist. Main Outcome Measure: A 1 to 10 visual analog scale to measure pain, the Ashworth Scale score to evaluate spasticity, and manual muscle testing to evaluate muscle strength. Results: All musculoskeletal patients reported a 90% reduction in pain. There was a 100% reduction in pain due to neuropathic conditions. Spasticity improved modestly by 2 points (from 4 to 2). Muscle strength improved by one-half grade. Duration and frequency of treatment was 1 to 2 times a week for 4 to 6 weeks for all patients. Conclusion: It appears that pain from peripheral neuropathy and musculoskeletal conditions responded best to acupuncture treatment. Patients with spasticity and weakness from the stroke did demonstrate some improvement for acupuncture but not as much as the pain patients did.