Effect of acupuncture combined with lower limb gait rehabilitation robot on improving walking function in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

BACKGROUND: No study has yet demonstrated the effect of lower limb gait rehabilitation robot treatment combined with acupuncture on stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupuncture combined with lower limb gait rehabilitation robot on walking function in patients with hemiplegia after stroke.

METHODS: Fifty-six patients with hemiplegia after stroke were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. The control group received regular rehabilitation training and acupuncture therapy; the intervention group was additionally trained by AiWalker-I lower limb gait robot. Both groups received 5 sessions a week for 4 weeks. Walking function parameters were assessed before and after the 4-week treatment.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in all parameters between the two groups in baseline (P > 0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, all parameters including the effectiveness of functional ambulation category (FAC), time up and go test (TUGT) time, Wisconsin gait scale (WGS) score, walking spatiotemporal parameters were all significantly improved in both groups with a significant better effect in the intervention group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with lower limb gait rehabilitation robot training has a positive effect on correction of abnormal gait and improvement of walking ability of hemiplegic patients after stroke.