Scalp acupuncture may support motor recovery after spinal cord injury: Experts

Scalp acupuncture combined with intensive physical rehabilitation may help support motor recovery in people recovering from spinal cord injury say experts stressing that it should be used as a complementary intervention and not as a substitute for conventional rehabilitationScalp acupuncture may help stimulate areas of the brain involved in movement and support the brains ability to adapt following a spinal cord injury Dr Geetha B Shetty Dean and Head of Department of Acupuncture of SDM College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences Ujire saidWhen combined with targeted physical exercises this stimulation may potentially support motor recovery by encouraging repeated movement practice and helping the brain and body relearn impaired functions Dr Shetty saidA case report published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies in 2023 described a 45yearold man who sustained a serious spinal cord injury after falling from a tree He suffered a burst fracture of the L3 vertebra along with fractures of the right medial malleolus and fibula and dislocation of the right lunate resulting in significant impairment of movement and sensationThe patient underwent rehabilitation at SDM College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences Ujire where the scalp acupuncture technique was incorporated alongside intensive physical therapyTen disposable stainlesssteel needles were inserted on both sides of the scalp and manually stimulated for around 30 minutes per session The patient underwent five sessions a week over a 21day period completing 15 sessions in total No electrical stimulation was usedAcupuncture was administered alongside rather than instead of physical rehabilitation During the sessions the patient was encouraged to attempt movements that remained difficult during his rehabilitation exercisesAccording to the case report changes in movement were observed following the first 30minute acupuncture session The patients left knee flexion reportedly improved from around 45 degrees to 130 degrees while muscle strength in the affected area also improvedBy the end of the 21day intervention the patient demonstrated improvements in muscle strength in both lower limbs balance walking speed and distance and his ability to walk independently At discharge he was reportedly able to walk without a cane and had regained the ability to distinguish between hot and cold sensations in his legsScalp acupuncture should be viewed as a complementary approach and not a replacement for physical rehabilitation When combined with intensive supervised physiotherapy it may help stimulate areas of the brain involved in movement while giving patients an opportunity to repeatedly practice strengthen and regain impaired motor functions Dr Arghya Assistant Professor SDM College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences Ujire saidThe possible explanation is that stimulation of motorrelated areas of the scalp when combined with repeated physical movement may support the brains ability to adapt and reorganise following neurological injury he saidExperts said the approach gives patients an opportunity to repeatedly practise movements affected by the injury an important component of neurological rehabilitationHowever as the findings are based on an individual case larger clinical studies are needed to establish its effectiveness and broader clinical application they saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever