[RESULTS] After treatment , the differences in the gait cycle , the phase time of standing ( % ) , the phase time of single support ( % ) , the phase time of unilateral sway ( % ) on the affected ( healthy ) foot and phase time of double support ( % ) were significant as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups ( all P < 0.05 ) , in which , the gait cycle ( 1.75 + / - 0.21 vs 2.02 + / - 0.37 ) , the phase time of standing ( % ) on the affected ( healthy ) foot [ ( 65.41 + / - 5.20 ) % vs ( 68.37 + / - 6.24 ) % , ( 70.99 + / - 6.47 ) % vs ( 74.51 + / - 5.19 ) % ] , the phase time of unilateral sway ( % ) on the affected ( healthy ) foot [ ( 36.08 + / - 4.86 ) % vs ( 33.65 + / - 2.94 ) % , ( 31.04 + / - 3.41 ) % vs ( 26.77 + / - 2.67 ) % ] and the phase time of double support ( % ) [ ( 36.91 + / - 5.10 ) % vs ( 41.22 + / - 5.39 ) % ] in the yin-yang needling group were improved much obviously after treatment as compared with those in the conventional acupuncture group .