Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine alleviate cerebral infarctions (strokes). Using MRIs, Guangyuan City Third People’s Hospital researchers conclude that acupuncture plus Bu Yang Huang Wu Tang improves brain functional connectivity in cerebral infarction patients. Results were especially pronounced in the central-cerebellar and central-contralateral anterior gyrus regions. In addition, the acupuncture and herbal medicine combination reduced risk factors by lowering total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In addition, CD62P and CD63 expression significantly reduced. These proteins are platelet activation markers indicative of cerebral infarction intensity levels.
The research team determined that acupuncture plus the herbal formula Bu Yang Huang Wu Tang is more effective than deproteinized calf blood serum injections plus atorvastatin. Deproteinized calf blood serum injections are the deproteinized extract of calf blood, which contain bioactive components and facilitates tissue repair and regeneration. Atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor) is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor used to lower high cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of cerebral infarctions.
It was determined that acupuncture plus Chinese herbal therapy produced a 91.7% total effective rate for the treatment of cerebral infarctions. A group receiving standard drug therapy achieved a 72.2% total effective rate. The acupuncture plus herbs group outperformed the drug group by 19.5%. The laboratory data demonstrates that acupuncture produces significant decreases in blood lipid levels when combined with Bu Yang Huang Wu Tang. Additionally, resting state fMRIs demonstrated that acupuncture improves functional connectivity of brain networks. [1]