Can Post-Stroke Patients Rely Solely on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)? Is Physiotherapy Unnecessary?

Written By：Melody TCM Practitioner.

Post-stroke rehabilitation is a complex and lengthy process. Solely relying on TCM treatment without engaging in physiotherapy usually cannot achieve the optimal rehabilitation outcomes.

Why Can't Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Rely Only on TCM Without Physiotherapy?

After a stroke, our body is like a car that has broken down; a certain part is no longer functioning properly. To get this car running again, and running well, requires a multifaceted approach.

1. Physiotherapy: Like "Driving Training" and "Core Repair" for the Car

🔸Teaches you how to "drive" this car again

A therapist will guide you hands-on, teaching you how to re-learn control of your limbs, for instance, how to correctly lift your leg and step, how to stably hold a cup, or how to maintain balance. This is like a driving instructor teaching you to re-familiarize yourself with and operate a car. Through repeated practice, your brain re-learns to send the correct commands to your limbs.

🔸Repairs "Hardware" Damage

If the car's tires (muscles) have deflated or the bearings (joints) have rusted from being idle for too long, physical therapy will use stretching, strength training, and other methods to make your muscles strong again and your joints flexible, preventing them from "seizing up." This is like a mechanic repairing damaged tires and bearings.

Therefore, physiotherapy is the core training to get your body "moving again." Without it, your brain and muscles lack "practical exercise," making it difficult to genuinely recover function.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Like "Deep Maintenance" and "Fuel Optimization" for the Car

Even if your car starts moving with physical therapy, it might still have minor issues, or its engine (internal body) might not be strong enough.

🔹 Deep "Maintenance" and "Cleaning" the Engine

TCM practices like acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and moxibustion are like giving your car a comprehensive deep maintenance. For example, acupuncture can clear meridians, invigorate blood, resolve stasis, and promote Qi and Blood circulation. This is like cleaning the car's fuel lines, allowing blood (Qi and Blood) to flow more smoothly, helping to clear blockages, providing better nourishment to damaged brain cells, and promoting nerve repair.

🔹Optimizing "Fuel" Quality

Chinese herbal medicine will condition your "body constitution" (体质) based on your specific condition, such as replenishing "Qi" (energy) and "Blood" (nutrients). This is like fueling your car with higher-quality fuel, making the engine run more efficiently and powerfully.

🔹Addressing "Minor Issues"

After a stroke, many people experience numbness, pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, and poor sleep. TCM is highly effective in alleviating these discomforts, akin to eliminating noise and vibration during a car ride, making your journey more comfortable.

🔹Unblocking Meridians, Improving Muscle Nourishment

Meridians are pathways for Qi and Blood circulation. For muscles to function normally, they need sufficient Qi and Blood supply. After a stroke, Qi and Blood tend to stagnate, meridians become blocked, and muscles become weak or stiff due to lack of nourishment.

🔹Promoting Nerve Repair

While Western medicine has more in-depth research on nerve repair mechanisms, TCM, by improving microcirculation and promoting Qi and Blood flow, can also create better conditions for the repair of damaged nerves.

🔹Alleviating Discomforting Symptoms

For common post-stroke symptoms like muscle spasms, numbness, pain, edema, fatigue, insomnia, and emotional issues, TCM treatment often provides significant relief, making the patient more comfortable during rehabilitation.

🔹Holistic Conditioning, Enhancing Constitution

TCM's syndrome differentiation and treatment approach will comprehensively condition the patient's body constitution (e.g., Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, damp-phlegm), enhancing overall bodily resistance and providing a stronger "foundation" for recovery.

So, What Problems Arise If You Only Do TCM and No Physiotherapy?

If your car's (body's) steering wheel is broken (motor dysfunction), and you only perform "deep maintenance" (TCM) without "driving training" (physiotherapy), you will find that:

• The car's (body's) internal state might improve, but you still won't know how to "drive" it. Muscles, without specific strength and coordination training, cannot truly regain the ability to walk.

  
  

• The "tires" (muscles) and "bearings" (joints) might become "stiff" from prolonged disuse. Even with an excellent engine, the car won't be able to run.

  
  

• You might feel more comfortable, but functional progress will be very limited or even stagnant.

What About Only Doing Physiotherapy and No TCM?

🚗 Recovery isn't as fast, and you feel sluggish

Physiotherapy teaches the brain how to "drive" the car, but if your body's internal "fuel" (Qi and Blood, organ function) isn't good, it's like a car without enough high-quality fuel or with carbon buildup in the engine. It will run much slower, tire easily, and might even "stall," making further progress difficult.

🚗 Persistent "Minor Issues"

Your limbs might remain stiff, painful, and numb. While physiotherapy can stretch, TCM can "unblock from within," making muscles more relaxed and less painful. You might also experience edema, poor sleep, low mood, or even digestive issues and constipation. These "minor issues" will make your rehabilitation uncomfortable, like driving a car with constant strange noises or bumps, affecting your "driving experience."

🚗 Unstable "Foundation"

TCM can comprehensively condition the body and boost your "immunity." If you only focus on "driving" without "maintenance," your body might remain weaker and more susceptible to illness (e.g., colds, pneumonia), which would halt your rehabilitation progress.

Therefore, the optimal approach to stroke rehabilitation is:

• Physiotherapy (物理治疗): Helps you re-learn "driving" and "repairing hardware," crucial for getting your car running again.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医治疗): Helps you with "deep maintenance" and "fuel optimization," making your car run smoother and more powerfully.

Both are indispensable and should proceed concurrently to achieve the best rehabilitation outcomes!

If you'd like to learn more about TCM wellness or wish to receive more personalized advice tailored to your specific situation, we recommend booking a consultation.