Results from a recent study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, demonstrate that acupuncture may improve walking in people with MS. The study included 20 people (60 percent female) diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS who experience trouble walking.
Gait impairment was evaluated by the 25-foot walk test (T25-FW). Participants were randomized into two groups. Group A received “true” acupuncture while group B received “sham” acupuncture. Immediately before and after treatment, gait was measured. At least one month later, groups received the other acupuncture treatment and gait was measured again.
When using true acupuncture, 85 percent of cases showed an improvement in T25-FW test (with two cases showing no change and one case showing increased time to walk 25 feet following treatment), compared with 40 percent when sham acupuncture was done. The average improvement in the true treatment group was 13.9 percent, with greater effect in females than males, 17.5 percent and 8.6 percent improvement, respectively.
Can acupuncture help other MS symptoms?
A 2014 review of studies examining the effects of acupuncture on MS found that scientifically rigorous research is lacking. Authors identified fifteen articles that met their review criteria. Of those articles, five examined the effect of acupuncture on quality of life, three looked at the effects of acupuncture on MS fatigue, two examined the effects of acupuncture on MS spasticity, two examined the effect of acupuncture on MS pain, and three were animal studies.
Read this post in its entirety:
Can Acupuncture Help MS Patients Walk Better?
No comments:
Post a Comment