Original Article Bringing Holistic Treatments to the Attention of Medicine: Acupuncture as an Effective Poststroke

This article reviews 3 studies that explore the effects of acupuncture on poststroke patients suffering from chronic stroke symptoms. The 3 studies selected strive to show how acupuncture can be a safe, noninvasive, and cost-effect rehabilitation tool useful in adjunct with traditional rehabilitation. Chou et al (2009), Hopwood et al (2008), and Wayne et al (2005) all studied acu-puncture’s effects on quality of life. Additionally, both Hopwood et al and Wayne et al studied acupuncture’s effects on mobility and activities of daily living. While the frequency, duration, and length of the entire treatment varied by study, overall, the results of all 3 studies suggest that acupuncture increases quality of life and improves mobility and activities of daily living