Electroacupuncture

Existing evidence suggests electroacupuncture may help chronic musculoskeletal pain. Electroacupuncture allows more standardized and reproducible treatment parameters than manual stimulation alone. Electroacupuncture combines acupuncture needling with electrical stimulation and has demonstrated greater improvements than manual acupuncture alone in some studies, including in Fugl-Meyer motor scores, Barthel Index scores, and hemiplegic shoulder pain. The EA treatment schedule consists of once-daily sessions, 6 days per week, over 2 weeks, totalling 12 sessions targeting only the affected hand. Direct evidence for electroacupuncture in ONFH remains limited. A prior randomized trial could not isolate the specific effect of electroacupuncture because it used a combined intervention without a sham-controlled design. Inconsistent EA outcomes in existing research are attributed to lack of standardised protocols, with variation in acupoint selection, frequency, needle thickness, duration, patient populations, stroke severity, and stroke subtype. Electroacupuncture uses inserted acupuncture needles connected to a device that delivers controlled electrical stimulation. Potential analgesic m…