The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of dysphagia in subacute stroke patients is being examined. Acupuncture is offered to inpatients at Kessler East if a VFSS indicates aspiration. The no-treatment control condition consists of study decliners and a historical group.
All groups receive conventional therapeutic modalities for dysphagia.
21 inpatients have been treated. There are 37 subjects in a non-treatment historical control group. Preliminary findings suggest a modest but significant improvement in the acupuncture group over the control group, primarily in males. Results of this study may suggest the need for further evaluation of this technique as a possible adjunct to standard rehabilitation therapies for stroke-related dysphagia. All rights reserved.