本研究在探討遠紅外線熱敷對降低腦中風病患偏癱上肢肩關節處之不舒服感及提高其患側上肢遠端溫度之效果。試驗中分別偵測腦中風病患使用遠紅外線熱敷前後其上肢肢體之溫度及經絡穴位點皮膚導電度值變化，並且使用視覺類比量表評估受測個案使用遠紅外線熱敷前後患側肩關節處之不舒服感覺。此研究受測個案為25位腦中風病患且單側偏癱，其中男性18位，女性為7位，平均年齡（±標準差）56.6 ± 11.4歲（範圍39歲至78歲）。其中右側偏癱者為18位，左側偏癱者為7位。經成對樣本t檢定比較遠紅外線熱敷實驗前、後受測個案患側上肢肩關節不舒服感分數，Wilcoxon signed-rank test檢定患側組及非患側組之平均皮膚電導度值，Mann-Whitney Test檢定性別之平均體表溫度及平均皮膚導電度值差異性，One-Way ANOVA分析，患側組及非患側組之平均皮膚導電度各時段之差異。結果發現，受測個案經遠紅外線熱敷後，對於肩關節不舒服之感覺，達顯著性差異(p<0.001)，且患側組及非患側組之手背平均體表溫度均往上提昇顯示遠紅外線熱敷可以改善腦中風病患肩關節不舒服之感覺、提昇肢體遠端體表溫度，而曲池和合谷之患側與非患側之平均皮膚電導度值，並無顯著差異性(p>0.05)。 In this research, the efficacy of far-infrared ray (FIR) hot compress in reducing the uncomfortable feeling of stroke patients’ upper limbs and increasing the temperature of the distal limb was investigated. In the experiment, the temperature of the upper limbs of stroke patients and skin conductivity at the meridian acupuncture points was measured before and after applying FIR hot compresses. Uncomfortable feelings at shoulder joint on the hemiparetic side was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) valuations to evaluate consensual reaction of the patients before and ter applying FIR hot compresses. Twenty-five hemiparetic stroke patients, which comprised 18 males and 7 females, with a mean age of (± SD) 56.6 ± 11.4 years (39 to 78 years old) were recruited. Among them, 18 were right-sided hemiparetic and 7 were left-sided hemiparetic. Paired sample t-test was used to compare differences between uncomfortable feelings in the hemiparetic side changes pre- and post-test. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare differences between skin conductivity of measured acupuncture points and skin temperature in the hemiparetic non-hemiparetic sides’ changes changes pre- and post-test. Mann-Whitney Test was used to compare differences in skin temperature and skin conductivity between male and female patients. One-Way ANOVA was used to compare differences in skin conductivity of measured acupuncture points and skin temperature changes between hemiparetic and non-hemiparetic sides. The results indicated that using FIR hot compresses significantly improved (p<0.001) the uncomfortable feeling at the shoulder joint on the hemiparetic side of the stroke patients. Significant differences were found in the average temperature of dorsal hand surfaces between the hemiparetic and non-hemiparetic sides. Conversely, no significant difference (p> 0.05) was found in the average skin conductivity at the Quchi and Hegu points between the hemiparetic and non-hemiparetic sides.
