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Acupuncture and Cerebral Palsy

A child and her mother from USA fly to Malaysia for treatment with Neuro Acupuncture Herbal Medicine Treatment for CP Cerebral Palsy - http://www.thetole.org

I’ve found through the internet says that the studies and clinical test done by several university here in US or in China, already have a positive result on Acupunture Treatment for Cereberal Palsy patients.

In an article write by Joseph Balensi states that In the initial phase of a NIH funded study (Grant #P50 AT00008-03) at the University of Arizona Pediatrics Department acupuncture was used on several children with cerebral palsy. The hypothesis of the study was that acupuncture would reduce muscle hypertonicity in children with cerebral palsy.

She also wrote that the patient, which in this case, was a five year old boy who had suffered a severe and permanently damaging blow to his head at four months of age. His musculature was extremely tight and distorted which also resulted in a distorted skeleton. He quite literally was bent in the coronal plane approximately 60 degrees at the waist. Organ development and function were stunted by this distortion. He had been diagnosed as cortically blind and virtually the only vocal sound he was capable of making was a 'clicking' in his throat. He had had an esophageal feeding tube for several months after his initial trauma and this was likely a significant component in his paucity of vocal and verbal ability. His affect was totally flat. According to his foster mother, he had cried only four times in the four and a half years she had cared for him

The first four treatments used such body points as LI 4, LI 11, GB 34, GB 39, SP 6, SJ 5, PC 6 to open the channels and scalp acupuncture upper and lower limb motor regions were used.

There was reduction of the hypertonicity but the intensity and duration was small; lasting only a few hours. In the second session the patient began crying during the needling which increasingly worried his foster mother. During the fourth session he began crying soon after the needles were inserted. He continued crying with periodic intermissions. His foster mother asked if the pain and upset were worth the gain and then enumerated the rest of her concerns about negative effects due to acupuncture. During her expression of concern the needles were removed from the patient. He remained discomfited and agitated. The writer wanted to calm him as his foster mother and the writer talked. Unable to use needles the writer resorted to use of an ear probe on the auricular point Shenmen. An instant after stimulation of the point by probe began, the patient relaxed, his eyes brightened and focused on something far away.

Both his foster mother and the writer noticed his change in affect and focused their attention on the patient. After a few minutes of stimulus on auricular Shenmen a point within the auricular liver region called "relax muscles" was stimulated by the ear probe and the foster mother massaged his arms and legs. She said that his muscles were no longer rock hard. After a bit more massage the writer tried moving the patient's limbs and they did indeed allow themselves to be moved to small degree.

During the subsequent sixteen treatments needles were not used and instead the ear probe was used to stimulate all points. Points used were auricular Shenmen, Relax Muscles, all auricular joint points (e.g. elbow, ankle) and the channel points listed above. After a couple of more treatments the writer instructed the foster mother in the use of the probe and prescribed points for home treatment. Between the office visits and home the patient began receiving daily treatment.

By the end of the treatment course the patient's lower body and upper body were within a few degrees of sharing the same axis. His muscles were much softer and his involuntary limb thrusting was reduced by about 50%. His appetite and weight had increased. He had begun to cry more frequently. When an object was passed in front of his eyes they followed it. He had developed a small repertoire of facial expressions and vocal sounds. After the course of office treatment had ended the foster mother continued daily treatment at home. A month after that the foster mother reported that there were two new foster infants in her care in whose proximity the patient spent much time and that he had begun babbling in a manner very similar to that of the new children.

She conclude in this case underscores the utility and necessity of individualized treatment designed according to the needs of the patient. The method of applying pressure to a point is as well known to Oriental Medicine practitioners as acupuncture, yet the writer was still very surprised to witness these changes and so discovered a forgotten personal prejudice. He had assumed that because most of the children he would be treating were significantly impaired that the 'greater strength' of acupuncture was necessary to effect change. But in this case clinical experience was a reminder that it is appropriateness rather than strength of treatment which is the reliable guide to selection of treatment modalities.

Source http://www.acupuncture.com/conditions/cerebralpalsy.htm

Researchers at the children's hospital, Zhejiang Medical University in China spent over a year researching the effect of acupuncture and acupressure treatment for children suffering from infantile cerebral palsy (ICP).

75 children took part in the study which involved comprehensive meridian therapy including scalp and body acupuncture supplemented with acupressure and massage. The number of treatments each child received ranged from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 120, the exact number being assessed according to the child's needs.

The effect of the treatment was measured by evaluating the children's performance of physical exercise, social adaptability and their intelligence quotient (IQ) both before and after the treatment period. The results revealed " a very positive improvement in the children's physical capability and an increase of their intelligence."

In another study seventy five children with Cerebral Palsy were treated with a comprehensive meridian therapy including scalp and body acupuncture, acu-point injection and auriculo-point stimulation, supplemented with acu-pressure (shiatsu) and massage, and functional training.
Each child received a minimum of ten treatments in a twenty day period, and a maximum of 120 times within a year. The effect of the treatment was evaluated by analysing the children’s performance of physical exercise and their social adaptability, and the intelligence quotient - IQ of 30 children who each received 6 courses of treatments was compared prior to and after treatment.
The results showed that the treatment produced a ‘very positive improvement in the children’s physical capability and an increase of their intelligence’.

Source http://www.sheridanhill.com/cerebral-palsy-acupuncture-research.html

General Treatment and Therapy

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy treatment is a diverse field of study. With each case being as unique as the individual it affects, the type of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy treatment a patient requires will vary from person to person. The focus of cerebral palsy treatment is on the individual reaching the highest level of independence. Accomplishing this level of independence will relieve stress on both the patient and the caregivers. Individualized plans for cerebral palsy treatment are based on the patient needs and problems. A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals involved with patients, families, teachers, and caregivers can develop a plan in all phases of planning, decision- making, and treatment.

Physical Therapy

One of the mainstay therapies for cerebral palsy treatment is physical therapy. Physical therapy is used to decrease spasticity, strengthen underlying muscles, and teach proper or functional motor patterns. The family and caregivers can be taught by the physical therapist how to help the patients to help themselves.



For more information on Noreen Scott or Tender Ones Therapy Services, Inc - http://www.tenderones.com/
Occupational Therapy

A cerebral palsy treatment that is used for fine motor skills and daily living activities is known as occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is used much in the same way as physical therapy, primarily focusing on the hands and arms.

Exercise therapy

Another cerebral palsy treatment is exercise therapy, which can greatly enhance the mindset of the patient and give them a great sense of accomplishment. Whether indoor or outdoor, exercise increases the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain and can alleviate stress.


For more information on Noreen Scott and her clinic - http://www.tenderones.com/

Swimming can be quite beneficial during cerebral palsy treatment, preferably in a warmer than average pool. Aquatic Therapy or pool therapy, as it's often called, consists of an exercise program done in the water. The buoyancy of the water supports the weight of the child and allows him/her to move in ways that would be impossible on land. Physical Therapists insist the pool relaxes muscles and reduces the force of stress placed on the joints . This, in turn, makes it easier to work and strengthen muscles. Recreational therapists are available to teach your child how to swim, which for some patients may be their only mobility.



Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy is a Greek term meaning 'treatment with the help of a horse, also known as horseback riding, involves specially trained physical and occupational therapists in treatment for patients with movement dysfunction. The horse movements benefit the patient and they can bond with the animal as well.



For more information on Butterfly Dreams Farm or Peggy Curran - http://www.butterflydreamsfarm.org/.

Hippotherapy uses the influence of the horse over the patient, rather than the patient controlling the horse. This strategy is used as part of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional outcomes in cerebral palsy treatment.

Speech and Language Therapy

Throat and tongue muscles may be affected as well, so speech and language therapy is available as a cerebral palsy treatment as well. Speech and language therapy is used for spoken and alternative types of communication, such as sign language or computers.