Can pricking fingertips with needle help a stroke victim? Fact Check

Internet rumours claim that you can help stroke victims recover by pricking their fingertips with a needle along with massaging and pricking their earlobes.

Most variants of the rumour claim this procedure derived from Chinese medicine or a “Chinese professor” or teacher.

An example of this rumour as it appeared on social media can be seen below –

HOW TO SAVE A PERSON FROM THE STROKE BY USING ONLY ONE NEEDLE?
The unconventional method of saving human life during a stroke is a method of a Chinese teacher who says that you should always keep a needle in your home.
Share this review, so that you help someone to survive. Take the time to read this. You never know if someone’s life can count on you.
When someone suffers a stroke, the capillaries of the brain stretch progressively. You need a rest and an ambulance. These tips will help you save someone’s life!
Stay calm! No matter where the victim is, do not move them, because if you move the patient, the capillaries will explode and there will be bleeding in the brain! It would be better if you have a syringe needle at home, but a simple sewing needle can serve, too.
1. Hold the needle – on the fire, or with a candle, sterilize this needle and then use it to prick the tops of all 10 fingers.
2. No specific acupuncture is necessary; it should only be a few millimeters from the nail.
3. Perform so that blood can flow.
4. If blood does not drip, tighten and start squeezing.
5. When all 10 fingers begin to bleed wait a few minutes – you will see that the victim will be back to life!
6. If the victim’s mouth is deformed, massage his ears until they become red – so that the blood can come to them.
7. Then prick with the needle in each ear in the soft part, to drop two drops of blood from each ear. A few minutes later, his mouth would not be distorted
Wait until the victim comes to normal without any unusual symptoms, then send him to the hospital.
This method of blood shedding to save life is a traditional Chinese medicine method, and its practical application is 100% effective and by using it people can survive a stroke …
You do not lose anything by sharing, on the contrary you save lives …
Blessing on the life of the one who shares!

The message has been spreading via email, social media, blogs and videos online since around 2003, and it is entirely baseless, and not recommended by any health organisations.

What the message is describing is a form of bloodletting, which is an ancient medicinal treatment involving the withdrawal of blood to treat an array of illnesses. However, we now know that bloodletting was based on fundamental misunderstandings of physiology, and in most cases was harmful to patients; as such it was soon disbanded in most parts of the world by the late 19th century as more modern medical methods became mainstream.

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One of the primary issues with this warning is that those heeding the warning are likely to delay actual medical assistance – such as calling the emergency services – in favour of completing the tasks set out in the message (pricking fingertips and massaging earlobes) despite these tasks being of no help to the stroke victim. Health professionals across the board recommend prioritising contacting emergency services in case of a stroke for immediate medical assistance.

Given the persistence of this particular hoax, it has been debunked a number of times by health professionals. This includes Dr. Zubin Damania, the founder of Las Vegas’s Turntable Health and popular YouTube doctor, debunked one instance of this viral hoax here, while outlining the obvious dangers of spreading it.

According to every reputable health organisation, if you suspect someone is having a stroke, the priority is seeking medical assistance, such as calling an ambulance. You can help quickly diagnose a stroke by using the F.A.S.T. acronym to look for the relevant symptoms.

Facial drooping: A section of the face, usually only on one side, that is drooping and hard to move. This can be recognized by a crooked smile.
Arm weakness: The inability to raise one’s arm fully
Speech difficulties: An inability or difficulty to understand or produce speech
Time: If any of the symptoms above are showing, time is of the essence; call the emergency services or go to the hospital.

But in no cases should one heed the advice in these messages. They are not effective, and will likely only result in the delay of potentially life-saving assistance from medically trained professionals.