{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T20:40:11Z","timestamp":1770756011723,"version":"3.50.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770681600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Currently, acupuncture therapy is widely used for post-stroke upper-limb spasticity. However, the available evidence remains insufficient to determine the relative effectiveness of different acupuncture protocols.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study retrieved relevant databases and systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture treatment for post-stroke upper-limb spasticity. A total of 28 trials involving 14 acupuncture treatment protocols were included. A network meta-analysis was performed using Stata 18 software.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The results indicated that the Balanced Yin-Yang Acupuncture + Rehabilitation yielded the best outcomes in improving Fugl\u2013Meyer Assessment scores, while Luan\u2019s Three-Needle Technique combined with Meridian Sinew Cluster Needling + Rehabilitation was most effective in reducing modified Ashworth scale scores.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A comparison of efficacy indicators across 14 different acupuncture methods combined with rehabilitation showed that Balanced Yin-Yang Acupuncture + Rehabilitation and Luan\u2019s Three-Needle Technique combined with Meridian Sinew Cluster Needling + Rehabilitation were more effective in treating post-stroke upper-limb spasticity. Owing to limitations in the current body of research, these conclusions need to be further verified by more high-quality randomized controlled trials.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Systematic review registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:ext-link>https:\/\/www.crd.york.ac.uk\/PROSPERO<\/jats:ext-link>\n                      , identifier CRD420251110982.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2026.1725618","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T15:23:45Z","timestamp":1770737025000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Network meta-analysis of different acupuncture methods for post-stroke upper-limb spasticity"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Fanyu","family":"Xing","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rongwei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yanfei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuhong","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Linxuan","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Baoshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Baoshan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhaoqing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhitong","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ruixing","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jingyi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yiting","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]},{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiangwei","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lili","family":"Yin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"880","DOI":"10.1111\/ene.13902","article-title":"Prevalence and evolution of spasticity in patients suffering from first-ever stroke with carotid origin: a prospective, longitudinal study","volume":"26","author":"Dor\u0148\u00e1k","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Neurol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(24)00369-7","article-title":"Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021","volume":"23","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins16040197","article-title":"Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy after botulinum toxin injection for post-stroke upper extremity spasticity: a randomized controlled study","volume":"16","author":"Lee","year":"2024","journal-title":"Toxins"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1310\/tsr1803-179","article-title":"Poststroke hypertonicity: upper limb assessment and treatment","volume":"18","author":"Marciniak","year":"2011","journal-title":"Top Stroke Rehabil"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1017\/cjn.2024.342","article-title":"Post-stroke spasticity treatment: a retrospective cohort study from Alberta, 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of rehabilitation training combined with traditional Chinese medicine movement acupuncture on post-stroke upper limb spastic paralysis: a clinical study","volume":"21","author":"Du","year":"2023","journal-title":"Med Diet Health"},{"key":"ref27","first-page":"31","article-title":"Xingnao kaiqiao acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training and Western medicine for 42 cases of post-stroke upper limb spastic paralysis","volume":"31","author":"Yang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Tradit Chin Med Res"},{"key":"ref28","first-page":"440","article-title":"Randomized controlled study on Jin\u2019s three needle therapy on spastic hemiplesia after ischemic stroke","volume":"32","author":"Lang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Shanghai J Acupunct Moxibustion"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.13460\/j.issn.1005-0957.2016.02.0153","article-title":"Clinical observation of Jin\u2019s three-needle acupuncture plus rehabilitation for post-stroke spastic hemiplegia","volume":"35","author":"Xu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Shanghai J Acupunct Moxibustion"},{"key":"ref30","first-page":"3044","article-title":"Clinical observation on acupuncture combining Bobath in the treatment of spastic hemiplegia after stroke","volume":"16","author":"Tan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chin J Integr Med Cardio-Cerebrovasc Dis"},{"key":"ref31","first-page":"1448","article-title":"Ffects of balanced yin-yang acupuncture on neurological function, limb spasticity, and functional recovery in patients during acute stage of stroke","volume":"29","author":"Chen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mod J Integr Tradit Chin West Med"},{"key":"ref32","first-page":"129","article-title":"Therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Jiaji points (EX-B2) combined with rehabilitation training on post-stroke spastic paralysis","volume-title":"World Latest Med Inf","author":"Liao","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref33","first-page":"4","article-title":"Analysis of curative effect of 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