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Stroke

Cat Sleeping on a Couch in the Sunlight

Acupuncture can help patients recover from stroke

What is a stroke?

In human, stroke is the second leading cause of death and major cause of disability worldwide. It is an acute focal inury of the central nervous system arising from vascular disease, which blocks the blood supply to brain cells. Brain cells have very low energy storage and need constant supply of glucose of oxygen. Once the blood supply is obstructed, irreversible injury will occur after just 4-5 minutes of complete arterial obstruction.

Compared to human, stroke in dogs and cats are identified very infrquently. And, most of the time, there are other underlying cause such as infection, endocrinal disease, neoplasia, etc. make the prognosis much worse compared to human.

What can acupuncture do in patients with stroke?

When stoke first happens, Western medicine is needed to prevent further injury of the brain. However, due to the injury, there will be motor and sensory loss or alteration, which often time need long peroid of treatment to help patients to go back to daily life activities.

Acupuncture (include regular acupuncture, electroacupuncture and acupressure) can help the brain from several different mechanisms:

  1. Promote nerve cell and brain cell proliferation in central nervous system.

  2. Regulate blood flow of the brain, which include forming new vessels and increasing perfusion.

  3. Suppress regulated cell death (apoptosis) of brain cells.

  4. Regulate neurochemicals to reduce inflammation and increase antioxidative effects.

  5. Promote learning and improve memory in hippocampus.