ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT FOR BALANCE DISORDERS FOLLOWING WHIPLASH INJURY

In this study, by means of computerized static posturography, we evalu ated the postural changes after acupuncture treatment in a group of 15 patients with balance disorders caused by cervical torsion due to Whi plash Injury (WI). The acupuncture treatment consisted of 3 sessions ( one weekly session for 3 weeks) during which the acupuncture points Bl adder 10 (B1.10) and Gall Bladder 20 (G.B.20). VB were stimulated by m eans of piercing with needles, and manipulating the needles for 20 sec onds. Each patient underwent posturographic evaluations before and jus t after each session of acupuncture. The posturographic tests were per formed with open eyes (OE), closed eyes (CE) and closed eyes with retr oflexed head (CER). As a control group, we used 17 patients complainin g of the same symptoms as the study group due to WT, but treated with drugs (FANS and myorelaxing) and physiotherapy only. The patients of t he control group also underwent posturographic tests once a week for t hree weeks. We observed a significant difference between the two group s regarding the reduction of the CER Length of the statokinesigram jus t before each session of acupuncture and reduction of the frequency os cillations (FFT) of the patients on the sagittal plane in the study gr oup, in CER, whereas in the control group we observed a progressive in crease in these values. The high percentage of positive results in our WI patients leads us to advocate the therapeutic efficacy of acupunct ure for balance disorders due to cervical pathology, where it can be a ssociated with or be a valid alternative to pharmacological treatment.