Effect of row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping on cognitive function and quality of life in patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity

Objective To observe the effect of row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping on cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity. Methods A total of 448 eligible cases were randomly allocated into a treatment group and a control group, 244 in each group. Based on standard conventional treatment, cases in the treatment group received row needling in muscle regions combined with seven-star needle tapping, whereas cases in the control group took oral Western medication. After 3 weeks of treatment, the cognitive functions were assessed using comprehensive functional assessment (CFA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). The QOL was evaluated using the Chinese-version 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). Results After treatment, the CFA and MMSE scores were significantly improved in both groups ( P