ĐÁNH GIÁ KẾT QUẢ CẢI THIỆN VẬN ĐỘNG TRÊN BỆNH NHÂN NHỒI MÁU NÃO GIAI ĐOẠN HỒI PHỤC BẰNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP CẤY CHỈ KẾT HỢP BÀI THUỐC LỤC VỊ ĐỊA HOÀNG THANG, ĐIỆN CHÂM VÀ XOA BÓP BẤM HUYỆT

Abstract

Background: Stroke remains a major global health concern due to its high mortality rate and long-term disabling sequelae. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), various therapeutic modalities have been applied, including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupressure massage, herbal medicine, and particularly catgut embedding therapy at acupoints — an advanced acupuncture technique that integrates modern scientific and technical innovations based on the meridian–collateral theory. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of motor function recovery in patients with ischemic stroke during the rehabilitation phase treated with catgut embedding therapy combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Tang, electroacupuncture, and acupressure massage. Materials and methods: A non-controlled interventional clinical trial was conducted on 36 inpatients with ischemic stroke in the rehabilitation stage at Can Tho Traditional Medicine Hospital and Can Tho City General Hospital from February 2025 to February 2026. Patients received a combined therapeutic regimen including Liu Wei Di Huang Tang, catgut embedding therapy, electroacupuncture, and acupressure massage. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Barthel Index and the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: After 20 days of treatment, motor function and activities of daily living in patients with ischemic stroke during the rehabilitation phase improved markedly. The proportion of patients who were completely dependent according to the Modified Rankin Scale decreased from 13.9% to 0%, while 5.6% of patients achieved independence or only slight disability (p < 0.01). According to the Barthel Index, the proportion of patients at the poor level decreased from 75% to 0%, whereas the fair level increased to 63.9% after treatment (p < 0.01). The overall effective treatment rate reached 61.1% at day 20, indicating that the intervention regimen produced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement. Conclusion: Catgut embedding therapy combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Tang, electroacupuncture, and acupressure massage effectively improves motor function and functional independence in patients with ischemic stroke during the rehabilitation phase.