| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Bai 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Bai 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Bai 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset although the median time to post‐stroke was more than 1 month |
| Bao 2008 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Bao 2010 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Bao 2012a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Cai 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Calabro 2011 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Cao 2010a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Cao 2010b | Not RCT |
| Chang 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chao 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than one month since onset |
| Chau 2009 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Che 2002 | The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Chen 2000 | Confounded; the trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Chen 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chen 2008a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Chen 2008b | Stroke population not randomised to treatment: quasi‐randomisation of particpants (based on administrative procedure) to 1 of 2 groups |
| Chen 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chen 2010a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chen 2010b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Chen 2012a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chen 2012b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chen 2013 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Chen 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Cheng 2006 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Cheng 2007 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Cheng 2011 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. Stroke population not randomised to treatment: quasi‐randomisation of particpants (based on administrative procedure) to 1 of 2 groups |
| Chow 2006 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Chu 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Chu 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Cui 1992 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis; this confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Ding 2000 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Dong 2007a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Dong 2007b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Dong 2008a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Dong 2008b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Dong 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Du 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Duan 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Duan 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Fang 2009 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Feng 1996a | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Feng 1996b | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Feng 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Fink 2004 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. MAS scores (as a clinical measure of spasticity) were assessed before and after the treatment period but mean change of neurological score after the treatment period was not available |
| Fu 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Fu 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Fu 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Gao 2001 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. This confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Gao 2008 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Gao 2011 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Gao 2014b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Gong 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Gu 2007 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Gu 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Guan 2009a | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. Stroke population not randomised to treatment: quasi‐randomisation of particpants (based on administrative procedure) to 1 of 2 groups |
| Guan 2009b | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Guan 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Guo 1999 | The trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with PT and OT |
| Guo 2006a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Guo 2006b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Guo 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Han 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Han 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Han 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Han 2012 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Han 2014 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Hang 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| He 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Hegyi 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Hong 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Hou 1998 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture, oxygen and herbs compared with acupuncture or oxygen respectively |
| Hsing 2012 | The trial aimed to assess effects of electrical acupuncture compared with routine acupuncture |
| Hu 2011 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Hu 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Huang 2002 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis; this confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Huang 2008b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Huang 2008c | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Huang 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Huang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Huang 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Jia 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jiang 1998 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Jiang 2000 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis; this confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Jiang 2006 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jiang 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jiang 2010 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Jiang 2011a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Jiang 2011b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jiang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jiang 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Jin 1993 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Jin 2010a | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Jin 2010b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Kang 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Kang 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Kjendahl 1997 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset although the median time to post‐stroke was more than 1 month |
| Lai 1997a | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis; this confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Lai 1997b | The trial aimed to assess the effects of electrical acupuncture compared with manual acupuncture. Acupoints were the same between the 2 groups |
| Lai 1998 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of electrical acupuncture compared with manual acupuncture. Acupoints were the same between 2 groups |
| Lai 2004 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Lai 2011 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Lang 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lao 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lee 2007 | The full‐text with English or Chinese language was not available |
| Lee 2009 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Lei 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 1993 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Li 1994a | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Li 1994b | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Li 1997b | No outcome measures of interest were available in the trial, which aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on the change of intellectual disturbance in people with vascular dementia caused by cerebrovascular disease |
| Li 2006a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2006b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2006c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2006d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2006e | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2008a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Li 2008b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Li 2008c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2008d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2009a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2009b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2010b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2010c | The trial aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture and PT compared with PT. The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Li 2011b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2011c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2011d | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Li 2012a | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Li 2012b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Li 2012c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2012d | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Li 2012e | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Li 2012f | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset although the median time to post‐stroke was more than 1 month |
| Li 2012g | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Li 2013b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset. Stroke population not randomised to treatment: quasi‐randomisation of particpants (based on administrative procedure) to 1 of 2 groups |
| Li 2013c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Li 2015 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liang 1993 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Liang 2010 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Liang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liao 2006a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Liao 2006b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Liao 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liao 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Lim 2014 | Review |
| Lin 2010a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lin 2010b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Lin 2012 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Lin 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 1998 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. ADL was assessed before and after the treatment period but the number of participants who were independent after the treatment period was not available. The trial primarily aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on the intellectual disturbance in people with vascular dementia due to stroke |
| Liu 2004a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset (that is, acute stroke) |
| Liu 2004b | Confounded (acupuncture plus 1 type of Chinese herbs versus another type of Chinese herbs |
| Liu 2006 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Liu 2008a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2008b | Non‐randomised controlled study |
| Liu 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2010a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2010b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2011a | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Liu 2011b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2012a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2012b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Liu 2012c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2013c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2013d | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Liu 2013e | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Liu 2013f | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Liu 2014b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Liu 2015 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Long 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Lu 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lu 2011a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lu 2011b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Luo 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Luo 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Luo 2012 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Lv 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Lv 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Ma 2011a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Ma 2011b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Ma 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Mou 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Mu 2007 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Mukherjee 2006 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Muo 2001 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. This confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Ni 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Nie 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Nie 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Pan 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Pang 2010 | Not RCT |
| Peng 2007a | The trial aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture, PT and WM compared with WM. The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Peng 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Peng 2015 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Qi 2000 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Qi 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Qi 2013a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Qiao 2012 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Qiu 2011 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Qu 1991 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Ran 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Ren 2009 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Ren 2010 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Ren 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Sallstrom 1996 | The median time to post‐stroke was more than 1 month, but the trial included people with acute stroke (that is, less than 1 month) |
| Salom‐Moreno 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Schaechter 2007 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Seo 2013 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of ouhyul herbal acupuncture point injection compared with normal saline acupuncture point injection |
| Shang 2008 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Shao 2012 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Shen 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Shen 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Sheng 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Sheng 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Shi 2007 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of combination of acupuncture, PT and WM compared with WM |
| Shi 2007a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Song 2010 | Not stroke |
| Sui 2001 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Sun 2008 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Sun 2010 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Sun 2011 | Not RCT |
| Sun 2013b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Sun 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Suo 2008 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of combination of sham acupuncture and PT compared with acupuncture only |
| Tang 2005 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Tang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Tang 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Tang 2013a | The trial aimed to assess the effects of combination of acupuncture and WM compared with combination of WM and PT |
| Tian 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Tong 1997 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Tong 2013 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Tong 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wan 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear in the trial |
| Wang 2004 | Randomisation was not stated; the trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wang 2006 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2008a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2008b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wang 2009 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Wang 2010a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Wang 2010b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Wang 2011b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011d | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Wang 2011e | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011f | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Wang 2011g | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011h | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011i | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2011j | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wang 2013 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Wang 2014a | The trial aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture compared with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation |
| Wang 2014b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Wei 2005 | The trial included people with ischaemic stroke less than 1 month since onset (that is, acute stroke). Data for participants with haemorraghic stroke more than 150 days were not separated from data for participants with ischaemic stroke |
| Wei 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wenli 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wong 2013 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Wu 1999 | Data on pre‐planned outcome measures of interest were not available from the trial, which aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on urinary incontinence in people with stroke |
| Wu 2009a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wu 2009b | The trial aimed to assess the effects of three different forms of acupuncture |
| Wu 2010 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wu 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Wu 2012 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Wu 2012a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wu 2013b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wu 2014a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Wu 2014b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Xia 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xia 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xiao 1996 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Xiao 2006 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xiao 2008 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Xiao 2011 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Xie 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xie 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xie 2013 | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Xing 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xu 2009a | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Xu 2009b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Xu 2010 | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Xu 2013a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Xu 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yan 2010 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yan 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2006 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2007a | Quasi‐randomised study |
| Yang 2007b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2007c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2008 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of electrical acupuncture compared with routine acupuncture |
| Yang 2009 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2011a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2011b | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2011c | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yang 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2014a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Yang 2015 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yao 2006 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Yao 2013a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yao 2013b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Yin 2013a | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Yin 2013b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yin 2014 | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| You 2011 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| You 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yu 2002 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups. The trial was also confounded; it aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Yu 2007 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yu 2009 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Yu 2011 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Yuan 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zeng 2010 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 1988 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. This confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Zhang 1997 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. This confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Zhang 2002a | The trial aimed to assess the effects of magnetic acupuncture compared with routine acupuncture. Acupoints were similar between the 2 groups |
| Zhang 2002b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial; it was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. This confounded trial aimed to assess effects of acupuncture only compared with drug therapy (such as WM or TCM) |
| Zhang 2007a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2007b | The trial aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture, buyang huanwu decoction and routine treatment compared with routine treatment |
| Zhang 2008 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2009b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2009c | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhang 2010a | The trial aimed to assess the effects of basic therapy, rehabilitation, acupuncture, TCM, and massage therapy compared with basic treatment and rehabilitation treatment |
| Zhang 2010b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Zhang 2010c | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Zhang 2010d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2010e | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Zhang 2010f | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Zhang 2011a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2011b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhang 2011c | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhang 2011d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2011e | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Zhang 2012b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2012c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2012d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2012e | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2013b | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhang 2014b | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Zhang 2014c | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Zhang 2014d | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhao 2008 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhao 2009 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of deep acupuncture compared with routine acupuncture. Acupoints were the same between 2 groups |
| Zhao 2010 | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhao 2011a | The duration of stroke since onset was not clear |
| Zhao 2011b | The trial included people with acute stroke (less than 1 month since onset) |
| Zhao 2014a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhao 2014b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zheng 1996 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of combination of body and scalp acupuncture compared with body acupuncture only or scalp acupuncture only |
| Zheng 2000 | Confounded (acupuncture plus Chinese herbs versus WM only) |
| Zheng 2011b | The trial aimed to assess the effects of different forms of acupuncture |
| Zheng 2011c | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhong 2014 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhou 1995 | It was not possible to include data from this trial in the analysis. The trial aimed to assess effects of 2 methods of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Acupoints were different between the 2 groups |
| Zhou 2008 | The trial aimed to assess the effects of combination of acupuncture, PT and WM compared with WM. The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhu 2010a | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhu 2010b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhu 2011 | Abstract only; clarification of randomisation and intervention sought but not obtained |
| Zhu 2012a | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
| Zhu 2012b | The duration of stroke since onset was not stated in the trial |
| Zhuang 2012 | The trial included people with stroke less than 1 month since onset |
ADL: activities of daily living MAS: Modified Ashworth Scale OT: occupational therapy PT: physical therapy TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine WM: Western medicine