Clinical Efficacy and Brain Mechanism Characteristics of Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit Tuina Therapy in the Treatment of Post-stroke Walking Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Trial Based on fNIRS
In brief
Adding GCRS Tuina improves walking function and brain connectivity in post-stroke patients
In a 4-week randomized trial, patients receiving standard rehabilitation plus Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit Tuina showed higher functional ambulation, lower-extremity motor scores, and daily-living ability than rehab alone, alongside greater step length, speed, and stride. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy revealed stronger resting-state connectivity and higher brain activation during walking, suggesting Tuina may promote neural plasticity. Larger studies are needed to confirm durability and optimal dosing.
- Journal
- Complementary therapies in medicine (Q1)
- Published
- 10 August 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Yanguo Wang, Hao Chen, Shifang Fu, Junfeng Zhang, Yan Guo, Mengying Rong, et al.
- PMID
- 42575229
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103418
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (top studies of the week, 16 August 2026).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aims to preliminarily evaluate the role of Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit(GCRS) Tuina in enhancing walking function in post-stroke patients with walking dysfunction; secondly, by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), it investigates the effect of GCRS Tuina on the restoration of brain function in this patient population. METHODS: Participants in the control group received 4-week rehabilitation treatment, while those in the Combined Tuina Group (CTG) additionally received GCRS Tuina therapy for another 4 weeks on this basis. Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Fugl - Meyer Assessment Scale for Lower Extremity Motor Function (FMA - LE), and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were evaluated at the baseline and after 4 treatment weeks. A gait and motion analysis system was used to measure step length, stride, walking speed, and step frequency. FNIRS was used to measure the resting-state functional connectivity(FC) strength, as well as the β - value and HbO2 concentration mean during the walking task. RESULTS: A total of 60 participants completed the randomized, and 53 completed the trial and entered the statistical analysis. Compared with the Single Rehabilitation Group(SRG), the CTG group had higher FAC, FMA-LE, and MBI scores after 4 weeks. After the treatment course, the standardized step length, stride, walking speed, and step frequency of the CTG were higher than SRG. At the Region of Interest(ROI) level, the CTG exhibited 13 inter-ROI FC strengths that were higher than SRG, and the differences could survive the FDR correction (PFDR<0.05). Under the walking task, the CTG group had higher β values in 18 channels and higher Oxyhemoglobin(HbO2) concentrations in 19 channels than the SRG (PFDR <0.05). CONCLUSION: GCRS Tuina therapy can significantly improve patients' walking function, enhance lower limb motor ability and daily living ability. It can improve walking efficiency. Tuina can significantly increase the FC and enhance the activation levels and HbO2 concentrations. The stimulation of Tuina may help reconstruct the brain's motor control network, restore impaired motor function, promote the occurrence of neural plasticity, strengthen the neural circuits in the cognitive-motor-sensory cortex to improve walking function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with the International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry (ITMCTR2024000654).
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.