Abstract:Objective To study the effects of acupuncture on hemiplegia following acute ischemic stroke and on the levels of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factors (NGF). Methods A total of seventy-nine inpatients with hemiplegia after acute ischemic stroke in Qingdao Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from January to December 2020 were enrolled and randomly divided into routine treatment group(n=39) and acupuncture treatment group(n=40). The conventional western medicine was performed in routine group, and the acupuncture treatment was conducted on the basis of conventional treatment in acupuncture group. Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) was used to assess the muscle strength of upper and lower limbs, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)was used to evaluate the nerve function, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect serum BDNF and NGF levels. Results Before treatment, there were no significant differences in NIHSS and FMA scores and the levels of BDNF and NGF between two groups (P>0.05).After treatment, NIHSS and FMA scores were significantly improved compared to those before treatment in both groups and were better in acupuncture group than those in routine group（P<0.01）. BDNF and NGF levels significantly increased compared with those before treatment in two groups and were statistically higher in acupuncture group than those in routine group（P<0.05,P<0.01）. Conclusion Acupuncture can improve limb function and nerve function in hemiplegic patients due to acute ischemic stroke, which may be related to increasing the levels of BDNF and NGF.