Acupuncture for primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia: A CARE-compliant case report with two-year follow-up.

Researchers reported on a 28-year-old woman with primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (PACA), a rare immune-system disorder that affects balance, coordination, and speech. The condition is difficult to diagnose and treat because specific antibodies are often absent from blood tests. The patient experienced weakness in her right leg, stiff walking, unsteadiness, slurred speech, and shaking when trying to reach for objects. She had already been receiving immune-suppressing medications but continued to struggle with daily activities.

In addition to her ongoing medical treatment, the patient received a standardized acupuncture protocol during her hospital stay and continued with maintenance sessions as an outpatient. Over the course of treatment, her speech became noticeably clearer and her motor coordination improved significantly. By the time she left the hospital, her ataxia severity score dropped from 20 to 14 points on a standardized scale, and her functional disability rating improved from moderate to mild. When doctors checked on her two years later, her symptoms remained stable with no worsening, and she reported no negative side effects from the acupuncture treatments.

This case suggests that acupuncture may be a helpful addition to standard immune-modulating therapy for people with PACA, particularly for improving movement control and daily functioning. However, this report describes only one patient's experience, so larger controlled studies are needed to confirm whether acupuncture consistently helps people with this condition. Patients interested in trying acupuncture for neurological conditions should seek treatment from a licensed acupuncturist with experience in integrative neurological care.

This CARE-compliant case report describes a 28-year-old female with primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (PACA) who received standardized acupuncture as an adjunct to ongoing immunomodulatory therapy. The patient presented with right lower limb weakness, gait abnormalities, dysarthria, and intention tremor. Following inpatient acupuncture treatment with outpatient maintenance, the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score decreased from 20 to 14, and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) improved from 3 to 2 at discharge. Clinical improvements included enhanced speech fluency and motor coordination. Symptoms remained stable at two-year follow-up without adverse events. This single-case study (n=1) suggests integrative acupuncture may support functional recovery in PACA when combined with immunosuppressive therapy. The standardized protocol and objective outcome measures strengthen clinical relevance, though the lack of control group and small sample size limit generalizability. Controlled trials are needed to establish efficacy, optimal protocols, and specific indications for acupuncture in immune-mediated cerebellar disorders.