Acupuncture can assist with speech recovery after stroke, and may be associated with increased activity in the damaged speech areas of the brain.
Seven patients with speech loss following a stroke, were treated with acupuncture three times per week for eight weeks. Patients classified as well-recovered, showed significant improvement in speech scores after receiving acupuncture. Functional MRI scans also showed significant correlation between changes in speech scores, and blood oxygen dependent signals in part of the brain associated with speech interpretation and understanding.
(An fMRI Study showing the effect of Acupuncture in Chronic Stage Stroke Patients with Aphasia. Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies, March 2010.)