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This randomised controlled trial investigated whether a specialised tuina technique known as Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit tuina could improve walking ability in patients experiencing walking dysfunction following a stroke. Sixty participants were enrolled, with 53 completing the full trial. The control group received four weeks of standard rehabilitation, while the combined tuina group received the same rehabilitation programme plus Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit tuina sessions over the same period.
Walking ability was assessed using several validated tools, including the Functional Ambulation Category, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for Lower Extremity Motor Function, and the Modified Barthel Index. Gait analysis measured step length, stride, walking speed, and step frequency. Brain function was monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which recorded resting-state functional connectivity and brain activation during walking tasks.
After four weeks, the combined tuina group showed superior scores across all walking and motor function measures compared to the rehabilitation-only group. Gait parameters including walking speed and stride were also significantly improved. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy revealed that the combined tuina group had notably higher functional connectivity between brain regions, greater neural activation across multiple channels, and increased oxyhaemoglobin concentrations during walking tasks. The researchers suggest tuina may help rebuild the brain’s motor control network and promote neural plasticity.
Conclusion: Adding Guide Chi and Regulate Spirit tuina to standard rehabilitation significantly improved walking function and lower limb motor ability in stroke patients, with measurable positive changes in brain connectivity and activation observed via functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
Source: Wang Y, Chen H, Fu S and colleagues. Complementary therapies in medicine (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42575229) · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103418
