Acupuncture is not considered a conventional therapy for post-stroke sequelae but it might have some additional positive effects on early rehabilitation. We conducted this trial to determine whether acupuncture has additional effects in early comprehensive rehabilitation for acute ischemic stroke and dysfunctions secondary to stroke. Two hundred fifty patients were randomized into two groups: acupuncture (AG) or no acupuncture (NAG). Eighteen acupuncture treatment sessions were performed over a 3-week period. The primary outcome was blindly measured with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at week 1, week 3, and week 7. Secondary outcomes included: Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) for motor function, bedside swallowing assessment (BSA) and videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) for swallowing function, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognitive function, and the adverse reaction of acupuncture for safety assessment. Significant improvements from acupuncture treatment were observed in NIHSS (p < 0.001), VFSS (p < 0.001), MMSE (p < 0.001), MoCA (p = 0.001), but not obtained from FMA (p = 0.228). Changes from baseline of all above variables (except FMA) also had the same favorable results. A significant improvement in FMA lower extremity subscale appeared in AG (p = 0.020), but no significant difference was found for the upper extremity subscale (p = 0.707). More patients with swallowing disorder recovered in AG (p = 0.037). Low incidence of mild reaction of acupuncture indicated its safety. This trial showed acupuncture is safe and has additional multi-effect in improving neurologic deficits, swallowing disorder, cognitive impairment, and lower extremity function, but has no significant improvement for upper extremity function during this short-term study period. Chictr.org ChiCTR-TRC −12001971 (March 2012).

Acupuncture has been widely used as a treatment for stroke in China for more than 3,000 years. However, previous research has not yet shown that acupuncture is effective as a stroke treatment. We report a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, controlled, and outcome assessor-blind trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: To verify the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) on classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN), and to observe the brain functional status of patients with CTN and the intervention effects of EA on brain function by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods and Analysis: Thirty CTN patients will be randomly divided into EA combined with carbamazepine group and carbamazepine group in 2:1 ratio by using a random number table. Patients in EA combined with carbamazepine will receive EA treatment and carbamazepine for four weeks. The carbamazepine group will only receive carbamazepine treatment. VAS (visual analogue scale), HAMA (Hamilton Anxiety Scale), HAMD (Hamilton Depression Scale) and SF-36 (short form 36 health survey) will be performed before, after four-week treatments and at three-month follow-up in CTN patients. Six CTN patients will be randomly selected from EA combined with carbamazepine group and carbamazepine group, respectively, before treatment, and twelve paired healthy participants will be recruited at the same time. The twelve CTN patients will be scanned by rs-fMRI before and after treatment, and the healthy participants will be scanned by rs-fMRI only at baseline. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis will be carried out to compare the dysfunctional brain regions between CTN patients and healthy participants, as well as the differences between two groups of patients with CTN after treatment. Trial Registration: ChiCTR-1900027873.

Objective: In recent years, acupuncture has gained attention as a safe and natural method in cosmetic medicine. Auricular acupuncture has been insufficiently studied in the field of facial aesthetics. Our previous clinical observations were associated with rapid facial tightening, lifting, and slimming following auricular acupuncture, which is characterized by its simplicity, safety, and convenience. Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected data from 242 participants who received auricular acupuncture for facial cosmetic treatment. Participants received weekly treatments, with facial photographs taken before and after each session. Outcome measures included the Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS), Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and FACE‐Q score. Evaluations were performed at three time points: before the first treatment, immediately after the first treatment, and following 3 months of continuous treatment. The safety assessment monitored adverse reactions during the trial period. Results: A total of 217 participants were included in the statistical analysis as valid cases, of which 131 were assessed for immediate response and 86 for intermediate‐term response. Immediate results showed a statistically significant decrease in WSRS scores (from 2.49 ± 0.69 to 1.86 ± 0.87, p < 0.05) and a 77.10% improvement in GAIS. Efficacy observation at 3 months showed WSRS score decreased from 2.53 ± 0.66 to 1.67 ± 0.73 ( p < 0.05) and GAIS improvement of 95.35%. Participants reported high overall satisfaction with their facial appearance. After immediate treatment, the improvement in nasolabial folds was the most effective, with a score of 3.59 ± 0.62 (out of 5.00); after intermediate‐term treatment, the improvement of the cheeks was the most effective, with a score of 3.78 ± 0.64 (out of 5.00). In both immediate and intermediate‐term treatments, improvements were observed in the lower face and jawline, with relatively high satisfaction. Minimal pain was noted, with 64.98% reporting slight discomfort and 35.02% reporting no pain. No severe events were observed, affirming the treatment's safety and comfort. Conclusions: Auricular acupuncture was associated with improvements in both immediate and intermediate‐term evaluations. The immediate effects include facial slimming, lifting, reduction of nasolabial folds, and improvement of nasolabial lines. Intermediate‐term effects include tightening of the face, promotion of facial rejuvenation, overall facial enhancement, and an increase in participant satisfaction. Nonetheless, in view of multiple inherent limitations as a retrospective study, the findings should be regarded as preliminary and interpreted with caution, and future studies should employ prospective, adequately powered multicenter designs with longer follow‐up, validated patient‐reported outcomes, standardized image acquisition, and integration of objective imaging and biomechanical metrics.