[Acuuncture combined with swallowing training for post-stroke dysphagia: a randomized controlled trial].

Abstract To observe the clinical efficacy of deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23) and Yifeng (TE 17) combined with swallowing training for post-stroke dysphagia. Sixty cases of post-stroke dys phagia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. Patients in the observation group, based on the regular acupuncture treatment, were treated with deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23) and Yifeng (TE 17), once a day, 30 min per treatment; also swallowing training was combined, twice a day, 20 min per treatment. Patients in the control group were treated with swallowing training. All the patients were treated with regular treatment of stroke. Six days of treatment were taken as one session, and totally 3 sessions were given with an interval of one day between sessions. The video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) dysphagia evaluation scale and Watian water swallow test (WWST) were evaluated before and after treatment also the clinical efficacy and the recovery time of two groups were compared. After treatment, the VFSS score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (P