Clinical analysis of abducens nerve palsy treated by electroacupuncture

Abstract

AIM:To observe the clinical curative effect of electroacupuncture connecting Qiuhou(EX-HN7)and Hegu(LI-4)for eyeball movement disorder caused by acquired simplex abducens nerve palsy.METHODS:Randomly we divided 48 cases(48 eyes)into treatment group(26 cases with 26 eyes)and control group(22 cases with 22 eyes), diagnosed with abducens nerve palsy from March 2012 to March 2015 at ophthalmology department of Beijing hospital of traditional Chinese medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University. Patients in treatment group were treated by electroacupuncture connecting Qiuhou(EX-HN7)and Hegu(LI-4), with body acupuncture and acupoints around eye. Control group took methylcobalamin(0.5mg, 3 times per day)orally and subcutaneously injection of compound anisodine hydrobromide by the superficial temporal vein(2mL, once a day)as the treatment. During the treatment, affected eyes of all the patients were covered. The course of treatments was 1mo. The improvement of eye movements was observed.RESULTS:The date of the two groups was comparable at baseline. After 1mo treatments, the eye movement of treatment group was significantly improved from 13.06±2.31mm pre-treatment to 19.35±3.21mm post-treatment, than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant(t=-5.43, Pχ2=4.16, P=0.04).CONCLUSION:The electroacupuncture connecting Qiuhou(EX-HN7)and Hegu(LI-4)has certain effects on the treatment of eyeball movement disorder caused by simplex abduction paralysis. It is worth further clinical research.

Keywords

• abducens nerve palsy
• eyeball movement disorder
• electroacupuncture therapy