Scalp acupuncture is viewed as particularly effective for certain functional conditions like stroke recovery, aphasia (loss of speech), multiple sclerosis, numbness or sensory loss, and even spinal injuries. The scalp is another of the microsystems that mirror energy movement and sensory systems throughout the whole body. In the United States, scalp acupuncture is most commonly used to assist in stroke recovery. It has been found to be clinically more effective to combine scalp acupuncture with body acupuncture than to utilize body acupuncture alone in these cases.
In the case of stroke, it is especially important to start the acupuncture treatments as soon after the event as possible to ensure a full and speedy recovery. At this time, only a few hospitals have incorporated acupuncture into their stroke recovery programs but we hope that its positive effects will encourage others to also do so in the near future.